Callistocypraea leucodon

History

Until the late 1960s, this species was known from only two specimens: one in the National Museum of London, England, and one in the Harvard University Museum of Comparative Zoology. In the late 1960s and early 1970s the third and fourth specimens were found.

By the 1980s, they were being found with regular frequency, and were available on the market for about $5000. By 2000, they were "common" enough to be available for about $1500 in "gem" condition, and less than $1000 for lower quality specimens.

Description

The color of the shell of the white-toothed cowry varies from a chocolate-brown to butterscotch with whitish spots of varying size and degrees of contrast. The dorsal mantle stripe is very distinctive in this species.

The living animal has a mottled (blackish-brown and light tan) mantle with short and long colorless papillae, a blackish siphon and tan foot. A number of subspecies and forms have been described including: C. leucodon leucodon (pyriform nominate); angioyna (slight tooth differences); tenuidon (smaller, heavily spotted and rounder); and escotoi (small, dark and very round).

Bibliography

• Cowrie Genetic Database Project

References

References

1. "Callistocypraea leucodon".