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map cowrie

Leporicypraea mappa

Classification

Leporicypraea mappa (previously known as Cypraea mappa), common name the map cowry, is a species of large sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries. This is considered an economically important species in the Indo-West Pacific, where it is usually collected both for food and for shell trading. The map cowry was named on the basis of its distinct color pattern, because of the longitudinal lines and the easily distinguishable and sinuous mantle groove, which creates a resemblance to ancient maps.

Distribution

(c) Manuel CABALLER, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY
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Countries in the Picchu catalog
France · 7United States of America · 1