Cypraeidae

Cypraeidae
A live Talparia talpa in situ with its mantle almost fully extended, anterior end towards the right
Shells of a number of species of cowries
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Littorinimorpha
Superfamily: Cypraeoidea
Family: Cypraeidae
Rafinesque, 1815
Type genus
Pseudomelatoma
Dall, 1918
Genera

See text

Synonyms
  • Cypraeovulinae Schilder, 1927· accepted, alternate representation
  • Erroneinae Schilder, 1927· accepted, alternate representation
  • Luriinae Schilder, 1932· accepted, alternate representation
  • Pustulariinae Gill, 1871· accepted, alternate representation

Cypraeidae, commonly named the cowries (sg. cowry or cowrie), is a taxonomic family of small to large sea snails. These are marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Cypraeoidea, the cowries and cowry allies.