Ovulid snail from Malaysia

August 26, 2006
From: Sven-Urban Fjellner

Dear Bill,

Having looked through all(!) species on this web site, I am still at a loss understanding what this is - if at all a sea slug. To me it sort of resembles a pleurobranch, but I realise it might be something completely different - even a cowrie (I never checked whether it had a shell or not).

Locality: Pulau Redang, 12 - 18 m, Malaysia, South China Sea, 24 July 2006, Reef. Photographer: Sven-Urban Fjellner.

Sven-Urban Fjellner

diver@kanakoto.net

Fjellner, S-U, 2006 (Aug 26) Ovulid snail from Malaysia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/17529

Dear Sven-Urban,
This is an ovulid snail, Calpurnus verrucosus, which feeds on large soft corals such as Lobophyton. Have a look at my comments in an earlier message [#8038]. The white bit is in fact its shell and there are black-spotted flaps which fold up each side to partly hide the shell, much like in the cowries. Ovulids are often called 'false-cowries', but they are a distinct group which feed on soft corals. Interestingly many of them.have evolved brightly coloured mantles which partly or fully hide their shells, so they look quite slug-like.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2006 (Aug 26). Comment on Ovulid snail from Malaysia by Sven-Urban Fjellner. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/17529

Factsheet

Ovulids (False Cowries)

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