Lexique Cypraea
Lexique Cypraea
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Glossary unpretentious shown to help newbies and others! For a good understanding: we look at a Cypraea the back toward you, mouth off! Feel free to send me improvements possible.
Abdomen, ventral: below the shell base
Albinism: lack of drawing on the shell. Not always a white shell but a adult shell who has not done its ornamentation. This term is an error of terminology. See: Leucism.
Anterior siphon: opening just before.
Apex: the beginning (top) of the shell at the rear including protoconch and spires before the last turn, not always visible.
Apical: adjective in connection with the summit, the apex (protoconch, spire, suture ....)
Back, backbone,top: part of the shell bounded by the edges or margins.
Base, basal: beneath the shell bounded by the edges or margins.
Basal spot: one to four depending on the species.
Band: transverse colorful part of the shell. We count only colored band ones.
Beak: part of the shell in front of the back.
Bulliforme: development stage of the last lap without the base.
Columellar callus : thickness of the middle right side of the base.
Callus: Extra thickness of nacre on the edges or on the base. See nodulousity, stair, marginate.
Columella: axial part of the inner shells wrapped spiral.
Columellar tooth: teeth located on the columellar part of the base.
Crosslinking open, closed: drawing more or less densely dotted with circular holes closed or open reminiscent of a net. The''holes''correspond to the papillae of the mantle.
Deltoid: Shape of shell 4 sides viewed from above.
Dimples: successive small hollow along the margin.
Endemic, endemism. Living in one place in the world.
Griseifformis, griseoviridis: Form white, milky some shells. Ex green shells that pass with time.
Humpbacked, humped: shell on the back particularly high. Systematic in some (Cypraea mauritiana, Cypraea stercoraria). Outstanding among others (C.grayana, histrio) named f.Westralis.
Juvenile: stage of development: light, apparent apex, base present.
Labialis callus: thickness of the left side of the base (uncommon).
Lacuna, lacunae: hole, no drawing ,of circular form
Labial tooth: teeth located on the lip of the base.
Last lap test: all outside the shell.
Leucism: Excess white pigments. Explanations (in French, Sorry!)
Lineola: line more or less straight in the longitudinal direction.
Lip: edge of the opening labial side.
Mantel line or dorsal line: line on the back separating the two lobes. This is where the two parts of the mantle meet.
Mantel: soft part of the animal producing the shell and drawing.
Margin: decked out with a prominent edge.
Marbling: very small dots, lines, dark spread around the shell between the back and base.
Melanism, melanization: Disruption of the beast doing lot of additional drawings that cover each others. Excess melanin.
Metis: being nigerisation.
Mouth: front part of the opening often flared.
Niger, nigérisation: another term for melanism as they become all black.
Ocellus: white round often inhabited by a dark point.
Oliviformis: development stage of the columella.
Opening: refers to the open part of the base.
Peristome: expanded portion of the columella visible inside the shell. The columella ends with fossula.
Protoconch: Larval shell more or less visible depending on the species at the top of the apex often reduced to a point.
Pustule: small raised dots.
Pyriform: pear-shaped.
Umbilicated: apex protoconch down, invaginated.
Radula: all teeth of the animal form of tape was used to feed a movement back and forth.
Rhomboidal: shape shell has 4 or 6-sided view from above
Rostrated, rostrum, rostration: Extension of extremities and / or board, the base of the shell.
Stair: flatness of the base of the shell forming a ledge, a bulge.
Siphon anal or posterior: opening just behind.
Speck: very little white or black dots.
Stair: flatness of the base of the shell forming a ledge, a bulge.
Spire: spiral turns between protoconch and final lap.
Stria, striated: teeth very fine and numerous on the peristome or fossula.
Subjunior: stage of growth: light shell, finished base, apex apparent early ornamentation.
Suture: portion between two towers of the spire,few useful for Cypraea but much more for the olives and cones.
Spot marginal: spots or points on the edge can extend to the base.
Terminal spots: spots present on the beak or on the spire.
Test: shell by itself in its entirety
Testophyle, testologue: former name of conchyophyles and conchyologues.
Tubercle: round bumps on the shell and / or edge appearing on mature specimens or particularly accomplished.
Verdisme, green: green color that ranges from cloudy to opaque covering the original design. Lasts a while and then goes to white / cream. See griseifformis. The green is chlorophyll fixed by cyanobacteria, which chlorophyll disappears over time as the shell dry and lack of light.
Westralis (f): gibbous, humped shape of C. histrio described by Iredale 1935. This name began to be applied to Cypraea developing exceptionally this form.