Ovatipsa chinensis

Appearance

The mantle of the animal is bright red, and it is completely covered by protruding short filaments. The shells of this species reach 25–50 millimetres of length. The shells are smooth and elongate, light brown or yellowish in color with clear dots on the dorsum and a flat white base. With the subspecies ''variolaria'' , the basic color of the shell is light brown, with slight purple spots on the edges.

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Naming

The following subspecies have been recognized :
⤷  ''Ovatipsa chinensis amiges''
⤷  ''Ovatipsa chinensis chinensis''
⤷  ''Ovatipsa chinensis somaliana'' Lorenz, 1999
⤷  ''Ovatipsa chinensis variolaria''
⤷  ''Ovatipsa chinensis violacea''

Distribution

This species is found throughout the Indian Ocean and in the Central Pacific Ocean, in seas along Red Sea, East Africa, Australia, Indonesia and Philippines, in intertidal waters at 35–45 metres of depth . The Chinese cowry is active at night and hides under rocks in cracks and crevices during the day.

Habitat

This species is found throughout the Indian Ocean and in the Central Pacific Ocean, in seas along Red Sea, East Africa, Australia, Indonesia and Philippines, in intertidal waters at 35–45 metres of depth . The Chinese cowry is active at night and hides under rocks in cracks and crevices during the day.