(Linnaeus, 1771)
Macrocypraea cervus
Atlantic Deer Cowry
Phylum:
Mollusca
Taxonomy
Class:
Gastropoda
Order:
Littorinimorpha
Family:
Cypraeidae
ANSP 477195, ANSP 389339
Shell Information
Length up to (mm): 190
Chirality:
Dextral
Description:
This is an inflated shell with the last shell whorl of adults concealing the spire. This shell is similar to the Spotted Cowry but it is typically narrower with smaller and more abundant white spots covering the adult shell. Juvenile shells are tan to light brown with bands of white encircling the shell. As they mature the shell darkens, the white bands are lost, and white spots become apparent.
Ecological Information
Distribution:
North Carolina to Cuba
Depth (m):
0 to 35 meters
Diet:
Herbivore
Habitat:
Coral reefs and off shore banks
Works Cited
MolluscaBase eds. (2022). MolluscaBase. Macrocypraea cervus (Linnaeus, 1771). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=419722 on 2022-04-22
Rosenberg, G., F. Moretzsohn, and E. F. Garc�a. 29. Gastropoda (Mollusca) of the Gulf of Mexico, Pp. 579�699 in Felder, D.L. and D.K. Camp (eds.), Gulf of Mexico�Origins, Waters, and Biota. Biodiversity. Texas A&M University Press, College Station, Texas.