About Palmadusta ziczac (Linnaeus, 1758)
Palmadusta ziczac (Linnaeus, 1758) is a quite common species of small cowrie. On average, adult shells of this species reach 15–20 millimetres (0.59–0.79 in) in length, with a maximum recorded size of 26 millimetres (1.0 in) and a minimum size of 8 millimetres (0.31 in). The shells are pyriform, with a basic base color of light beige or light tan. Three transverse white bands with a zigzag pattern cross the shell body. The shell base is yellow or orange-brown, marked with small brown spots that extend along both sides of the shell. The shell aperture is orange, and it has several short teeth. In living individuals, the cowrie’s mantle is orange-red, covered with white papillae. This species is distributed in the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the western Pacific Ocean. In the Indian Ocean it can be found along Aldabra, the Maldives, Chagos, the Comores, the east coast of South Africa, Kenya, Madagascar, the Mascarene Basin, Mauritius, Mozambique, Réunion, the Seychelles, Somalia, and Tanzania. In the western Pacific Ocean it occurs along Melanesia, Bali, the Philippines, Australia, and Polynesia, but is not found in Hawaii. These cowries live in intertidal waters down to 5–20 metres (16–66 ft) depth, inhabiting sandy lagoons and coral reefs, where they usually hide under coral and rocks.
