Purpuradusta microdon (Gray, 1828)
Micro-tooth cowry, 7-14mm

Like the similar Purpuradusta fimbriata, P. microdon is found in a wide range of atoll habitats. Unlike P. fimbriata, however, P. microdon is most common at night on lagoon pinnacles and less common on the seaward reef and under shallow subtidal and intertidal reef rocks. Depths typically range from about 3-20m. The shell tends to be a bit more inflated and rounded, especially slightly toward the posterior end from the middle of the shell, while both P. fimbriata and P. minoridens are a bit more cylindrical in shape. The three light transverse bands across the dorsum tend to be fairly uniform and not blotchy in color. As the name implies, the teeth are the smallest of the three species and are mostly uniform in size along the length of the aperture. Purpuradusta microdon ranges through the Indo Pacific except for Hawaii, Western Australia, and the northern Indian Ocean. The Marshall Islands subspecies is Purpuradusta microdon microdon.

The three light bands crossing the dorsum can be seen in the photo below.

10.0mm, 19 May 1990

Created 1 April 2008
Updated 10 June 2022

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