A GLOSSARY FOR COWRIES

TERMS MOST FREQUENTLY USED FOR THE FEATURES
AND DESCRIPTION OF A COWRY SHELL
Picture plate examples included

REFERANCES TAKEN FROM THE BOOKS:
A Guide To Worldwide Cowries, Authors Felix Lorenz Jr & Alex Hubert.
Shells from the Greek seas, Publication, Museum of Youlandri Natural History
The Collectors Encyclopedia of Shells, edited by S. Peter Dance
Shells of the Philippines, F.J. Springsteen & F.M. Leobrera.

 

 

The examples I have chosen for this section are, representitive
of the different pattern variations, but not absolute.

Picture A

BASAL VIEW OR VENTRAL

DORSAL VIEW

A B C D E/F G/H/J L M/N O/P R/S T/U/V .

Picture B

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ADULT: A shell that is fully mature

 

ALBINO: A shell that is entirely white, lacking any darker colouring. ( Pigmentation )

 

ANTERIOR: The end of the cowrie that is nearest to the head of the living mollusc. Front.

 

ANTERIOR COLUMELLAR TEETH: The first three or more teeth on the columellar
side of the cowrie, and which are often pronounced.

 

APERTURE: The opening into the shell.

 

AXIS: An imaginary longitudinal line through the shell and around which its whorls evolve.

 

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BASE: The flat underside of a cowry. The side of the opening, (Aperture).

 

BLOTCH: A isolated spot of colour.

 

BULLA: A fragile and very young cowrie.

 

 

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CALLUS: Accumilation, gathering of excessive shell material.

 

CANAL: The groove which is formed by the aperture and the openings at each
end of the shell.

 

COLUMELLA: refers to the central axis around which the shells body is formed.

 

COLUMELLA SIDE: The side of the aperture that is closest to the central axis of the cowrie.

 

COLUMELLA PERISTOME: A callous ridge that runs longitudinally on the inside body of
the shell and can be seen through the aperture.

CYPRAEIDAE: used when refering to the family in the different taxonomic groups and
used for the division of cowries from other similar conchological families like
Trividae and Ovulidae.

e.g
Superfamily Cypraeacea

Family Cypraeidae

{Family Ovulidae, Family Eratoidae, Family Trividae} "Allied cowries"

 

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DENTAL INTERSTICES: The space in between the teeth.

 

DENTITION: The arrangment of tooth structure ( callous ridges ) framing the opening of
the shell.

 

DEPRESSED: Lower in relation to hight, flat, wider.

 

DORSUM: Refering to the side of the cowrie oposite the aperture. The upper surface.

 

DWARF: A shell that is fully mature but smaller than usuall adult shells.

 

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EXTREMITIES: The front and back end of a shell. Posterior /Anterior extremities

 

FOSSULA: A depression on the inner lip, columellar side of the anterior aperture.

 

FRAMING: Spotting on the margins starts nearer to the dorsal portion of the
cyp. forming a frame.

 

FREAK: A shell that is distorted either in shape or colour.

 

FRECKLING: Having irregular spotting. See pattern types.

 

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GRANULES: Tiny bumps found on the surface of a shell.

 

HABITAT: The natural living enviroment of a species.

 

HYBRID: The outcome produced by the breeding of two biologically different species.

 

JUVENILE: Young, not fully developed.

 

 

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LABRUM: The lip of the aperture that is away from the columella. ( The outer lip).

 

LACUNAE: Having a netting of circles which are of a paler colour. See pattern types.

 

LATERAL: pertaining to the sides.

 

LONGITUDINAL: Refering lengthwise, following the direction of the axis.

 

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MARGINS: Lateral edges, the periphery of the base usually pronounced by callus.

 

MELANISTIC: consisting of dark colouration.

 

MOTTLING: Having servere blotching. Coarser and intense spotting. See pattern types

 

NODULE: A small bump of callous matter.

 

 

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OBSOLETE: refering to a feature that is almost indistinguishable or reduced.

 

OCELLATED: Having spots framed with contrasting colour. See pattern types

 

PITTING: Tiny depressions in the surface of the shell, usually found around the bottom
of the margins.

 

POSTERIOR: The end of the shell nearest to the rear of the mollusc when in motion. Back

 

PROTOCONCH: The starting point of the cowrie formed by the embryonic worls.

 

PUSTULES: Dense pronounced bumps but smaller than tubercles.

 

 

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ROSTRATE: Having a beak like projection at extremities.

 

SINISTRAL: Left handed, wound in the opposite direction, compared with regular specimens.

 

SPIRE: The visible part of the axis, near the posterior end, around which the shell has grown.

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TEETH: Callus structures framing the aperture of cowries. see link Dentition

 

TERMINAL : At the extreme end of a cowrie.

 

TERMINAL RIDGE: On the columelar side of the shell, the first large tooth.
e.g Arabica Immanis

 

TUBERCLE: A bump caused by accumulation of callus matter. Larger than pustules or nodules.

 

UMBILICATE: Having a depression around the spire.

 

VENTRAL: The side of the aperture, when viewing a cowrie. The base.