''Monetaria caputdraconis'',
common name
In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...
the "dragon's-head cowry", is a
species of
sea snail
Sea snail is a common name for slow-moving marine gastropod molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguished from snails primarily by the ...
, a
cowry, a marine
gastropod
The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda ().
This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...
mollusk in the
family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

The common name of this species comes from its
Latin name ''caputdraconis'', meaning "the head of the dragon".
Description
The shell reaches about in length. It is pyriform with rather long teeth. The basic color of the shell is uniformly brown on its edge, with many yellowish small spots on the top of the dorsum.
Distribution
This
endemic species is found in the sea along
Easter Island and
Sala y Gomez Island
Sala or SALA may refer to:
Places Europe
* Sala, the historical name of the river IJssel and home of the Salii Franks
* Sala (Estonian island), one of the Uhtju islands
* Sala Baganza, a municipality in Emilia-Romagna, Italy
* Sala Bolognese, a ...
, where it replaces the similar ''
Monetaria caputserpentis
''Monetaria caputserpentis'', common name the serpent's-head cowry or snakehead cowry, is a species of cowry, a sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.
Distribution
This species occurs in the Red Sea, In ...
''. It is mainly encountered under coral rocks in the intertidal reef.
References
* Lorenz F. & Hubert A. (2000) A guide to worldwide cowries. Edition 2. Hackenheim: Conchbooks. 584 pp
External links
Biolib*
WoRMS
Cypraeidae
Molluscs of Chile
Fauna of Easter Island
Endemic fauna of Chile
Gastropods described in 1888
Oceanian realm fauna
{{Cypraeidae-stub