Pustularia cicercula
A highly inflated cowry with a granulose dorsal crease.
Pustularia cicercula is a marine gastropod mollusc, a type of cowry, belonging to the family Cypraeidae. Its shell is notably swollen, with ends that project outward and curve upward slightly. The back of the shell has a granular texture and a faint groove running down the middle. Shells can reach up to 20.3 mm in length, 13.6 mm in width, and 11.8 mm in height. Several subspecies are recognized: *Pustularia cicercula cicercula*, *P. cicercula takahashii*, *P. cicercula tricornis*, and *P. cicercula tuamotensis*. Two former subspecies, *P. cicercula avrilae* and *P. cicercula lienardi*, are now considered synonyms of *P. cicercula tuamotensis* and *P. cicercula tricornis*, respectively. This species and its subspecies are found in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, including waters off Kenya, the Mascarene Basin, Mauritius, Réunion, and Tanzania. A single fossil of the type species was recovered from post-Tertiary limestone deposits in the New Hebrides.
Quick Facts
- Genus
- Pustularia (gastropod)
- Species
- cicercula
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The shell of Pustularia cicercula attains a length of 20.3 mm, a lateral diameter of 13.6 mm, and a dorsoventral diameter of 11.8 mm. Its form is highly inflated, with the extremities produced and slightly upturned. The dorsal surface is granulose and marked by a shallow central crease. Several subspecies are recognized, including Pustularia cicercula cicercula, Pustularia cicercula takahashii, Pustularia cicercula tricornis, and Pustularia cicercula tuamotensis. Two names have been placed in synonymy: Pustularia cicercula avrilae is considered a synonym of Pustularia cicercula tuamotensis, and Pustularia cicercula lienardi is a synonym of Pustularia cicercula tricornis.
Reader's Guide
This species and its subspecies occur in the Red Sea and in the Indian Ocean off Kenya, the Mascarene Basin, Mauritius, Réunion, and Tanzania. A single fossil of the type species was collected from the post-Tertiary limestones of the New Hebrides. The species was originally described by Linnaeus in 1758. Its taxonomy has been refined through subsequent work, including a monograph of the genus Pustularia published in 2014. The subspecies Pustularia cicercula takahashii was described by Moretzsohn in 2007, and Pustularia cicercula tuamotensis by Lorenz in 1999. The synonymy of Pustularia cicercula avrilae and Pustularia cicercula lienardi reflects ongoing taxonomic study. The cowry's distribution across the western Indian Ocean and its fossil record in the Pacific indicate a broader historical range.
Did You Know?
- The shell length attains 20.3 mm.
- A single fossil was collected from post-Tertiary limestones of the New Hebrides.
- Pustularia cicercula avrilae is a synonym of Pustularia cicercula tuamotensis.
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