About Bistolida kieneri (Hidalgo, 1906)
Bistolida kieneri is a species of common cowry. The shells of this species are oval-shaped, smooth, and shiny, with an average length of 12–15 millimetres (0.47–0.59 in). They have a minimum length of 8 millimetres (0.31 in) and a maximum length of 24 millimetres (0.94 in). The shell's basic color is whitish, marked with irregular greenish or blueish blotches or transverse bands, and small brown spots along the edges of both sides. The extremities of the shell each have one larger brown blotch. The shell's base is mostly whitish, with a narrow, sinuous aperture that has several short teeth. In living individuals, the cowry's mantle is very thin and transparent, with short papillae and external antennae. This species and its subspecies are distributed across East Africa, the Indian Ocean, and the western Pacific Ocean. They can be found in the seas surrounding Aldabra, Chagos, the Comores, Kenya, Madagascar, the Mascarene Basin, Mauritius, Mozambique, Réunion, the Seychelles, Tanzania, South Africa, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Samoa. These living cowries inhabit tropical shallow waters. They are typically hidden under rocks or corals during the day, as they avoid light. They only feed on algae or coral polyps at dawn or dusk.
