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> Other marine organisms  

Phylum Mollusca - Sea Snails

Spindle Cowrie Phenacovolva brevirostris

Spindle Cowrie
Phenacovolva  brevirostris
(Ovulidae)

This attractive spindle cowrie (or ovulid) is feeding on the white gorgonian, Euplexaura  curvata. Although the flesh has been eaten, the gorgonians are not killed as they are able to regenerate the flesh within a few days.

 

 

 

This species of spindle cowrie also feeds on the soft tissue of gorgonians, leaving their skeletons behind.

 

 

Spindle Cowrie Phenacovolva sp.

Spindle Cowrie  Phenacovolva sp.  (Ovulidae)

 

 

 

 
Gorgonian Cowrie Phenacovolva rosea

Gorgonian Cowrie  Phenacovolva  rosea
(Ovulidae)

This purple snail lives on gorgonians. The colours of the mantle and shell match that of the host, making it inconspicuous.

 

 

 

 

 

Crenavolva cuspise has three colours to match that of the host gorgonian, deep purplish-brown, pinkish-white and orange. It is reasonably abundant within the Cape d'Aguilar Marine Reserve.

 

Gorgonian Cowrie Crenavolva cuspis

      Gorgonian Cowrie      Crenavolva  cuspis
(Ovulidae)

 

 

 

 
Soft Coral Cowrie Pseudosimnia whitworthi

Soft Coral Cowrie
Pseudosimnia  whitworthi
(Ovulidae )

This tiny cowrie, which rarely exceeds 1 cm in length, lives on red soft coral Dendronephthya. The cowrie's mantle provides extremely good camouflage for the snail, having white filaments to mimic the tissue and white spicules of the host. It is a parasite, feeding on soft coral tissue, but seems to cause little harm to the host.

 

 

 

 

Those tiny snails were found on a sea cucumber. They are parasitic on a wide variety of invertebrates, such as echinoderms and bivalves.

Snails in family Pyramidellidae
Snails in family Pyramidellidae

 

 

 

 
Eulima sp.

Eulima  sp. (Eulimidae)

This snail was found on the cirri (legs) of a feather star. Like most eulimids, its shell is transparent and glossy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The beautiful and distinctive Arabian cowrie is abundant in local waters. The bilobed mantle, which emerges from the shell can be extended to cover the outside of the shell. It has special cells that secrete the calcium carbonate matrix of the shell and maintain its rich, glossy appearance.

Arabian Cowrie Cypraea arabica

        Arabian Cowrie                           Cypraea  arabica  (Ovulidae) 

 

 

 

 
Orange Cowrie

Orange Cowrie (Ovulidae)

There are about 200 species of cowries and around half of them occur in Southeast Asia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This conch shell can reach a maximum length of 7 cm. Species of Strombus are herbivorous and have particularly large eyes mounted on stout tentacles.

 

Conch Shell Strombus luhuanus

Conch Shell  Strombus  luhuanus  (Strombidae)

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image Last Revision Date : 26 June 2006 image