Lurid Cowry

Luria lurida is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

Description

The shells of Luria lurida reach on average 40–48 millimetres (1.6–1.9 in)of length, with a minimum size of 14 millimetres (0.55 in) and a maximum size of 66 millimetres (2.6 in). The dorsum surface of these elongated, smooth and shiny shells is mainly pale brown or reddish, with three transversal darker bands alternating with narrower clearer bands. At the extremities of the shell there are two separate dark brown spots. The aperture is wide, with several teeth. In the living cowries the mantle is dark brown and may cover the entire shell. The male is usually smaller and elongated than the female.

Distribution

This common species is distributed in Mediterranean Sea and in the seas along Cape Verde, Azores, Canaries and West Africa, mainly in Senegal and Angola.

Habitat

As they fear the light, during the day usually they hide themselves in small caves, crevices or under rocks up to about 40 metres (130 ft) of depth. They live on rocky seabed and corals, feeding during the night mainly on sponges of Verongia aerophoba, Aiplysina aerophoba, Chondrilla nucula and Tethya aurantium.