Cyphoma is a genus of predatory tropical sea snails, a taxonomic group of marine gastropod molluscs in the family Ovulidae, a family which is sometimes known as the false cowries or cowry allies.

Cyphoma
A live individual of Cyphoma gibbosum, anterior end at the top
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Littorinimorpha
Family: Ovulidae
Subfamily: Simniinae
Genus: Cyphoma
Röding, 1798[1]
Type species
Bulla gibbosa Linnaeus, 1758
Species

See text

Synonyms[2]

Pseudocyphoma Cate, 1973

Cyphoma signatum

Distribution

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Cyphoma snails live in tropical oceans and seas.

Habitat

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Species in this genus live on sea whips and sea fans.

Life habits

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Cyphoma snails feed by grazing on the sea fans or sea whips which they inhabit.

The males can be territorial, defending part of the sea fan from encroachment by other males.

Species

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Species within the genus Cyphoma include:

Species brought into synonymy

References

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  1. ^ Röding P. F. (1798). Museum Boltenianum sive catalogus cimeliorum e tribus regnis naturæ quæ olim collegerat Joa. Fried Bolten, M. D. p. d. per XL. annos proto physicus Hamburgensis. Pars secunda continens conchylia sive testacea univalvia, bivalvia & multivalvia. pp. [1-3], [1-8], 1-199. Hamburg.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n WoRMS (2010). Cyphoma Röding, 1798. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=394147 on 11 November 2010
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  • "Cyphoma". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
  • Röding P.F. (1798). Museum Boltenianum sive Catalogus cimeliorum e tribus regnis naturæ quæ olim collegerat Joa. Fried Bolten, M. D. p. d. per XL. annos proto physicus Hamburgensis. Pars secunda continens Conchylia sive Testacea univalvia, bivalvia & multivalvia. Trapp, Hamburg. viii, 199 pp