Cypraea erosa Linnaeus, 1758

Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: Erosaria erosa (Linnaeus, 1758) / None.

En - Eroded cowrie; Fr - Porcelaine érodée.Maximum shell length 7.5 cm, commonly to 4.5 cm. Abundant either in quiet or moderatelyhigh-energy environments. Usually occurring under stones and coral slabs or on the underside ofrocks, sometimes also on algal crests of reefs or in muddy conditions. Intertidal and subtidal zones,in shallow waters. Collected mainly for its shell, sometimes also for food. Widespread in theIndo-Pacific, from South and East Africa to eastern Polynesia and Cocos Islands off CentralAmerica; north to Japan and Hawaii, and south to northern New South Wales and Lord Howe Island.

Cypraea isabella Linnaeus, 1758

Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: Basilitrona isabella (Linnaeus, 1758); Luria isabella (Linnaeus, 1758);Talparia isabella (Linnaeus, 1758) / None.

En - Isabelle cowrie; Fr - Porcelaine isabelle.Maximum shell length 5.5 cm, commonly to 4 cm. Coral reef and rock environments. Common inlittoral and shallow subtidal zones, but also occurring sublittorally to a depth of about 35 m. Locallycollected for food. Shell used for shellcraft. Widespread in the Indo-West Pacific, from East Africa,including the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, to eastern Polynesia; north to southern Japan, Midwayand Hawaii, and south to central New South Wales and New Caledonia.

dorsal view

dorsal view

Cypraeidae 501

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Cypraea leviathan (Schilder and Schilder, 1937)

Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: Lyncina leviathan (Schilder and Schilder, 1937); L. titan Schilder andSchilder, 1962; Mystaponda leviathan (Schilder and Schilder, 1937) / Cypraea carneola Linnaeus, 1758.

En - Monster cowrie; Fr - Porcelaine léviathan.Maximum shell length 13 cm, commonly to 7 cm. Under boulders and slabs or in crevices, often insmall groups, in coral reef and rocky environments. Sublittoral, from shallow water to a depth ofabout 35 m. Locally collected for food. Shell used in the shellcraft industry. Widespread in theIndo-West Pacific, from East Africa, including Madagascar and the Red Sea, to western Polynesia;north to Japan and Hawaii, and south to Queensland and New Caledonia.

Cypraea lynx Linnaeus, 1758

Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: Cypraea caledonica Crosse, 1869; C. vanelli Linnaeus, 1758; Lyncina lynx(Linnaeus, 1758) / None.

En - Lynx cowrie; Fr - Porcelaine lynx.Maximum shell length 9 cm, commonly to 5 cm. In coral reef and rocky habitats, mostly under coralslabs and stones, or half exposed in crevices. Often found in small groups. Intertidal and sublittoralzones, to a depth of about 20 m. Collected for food and for its shell. Widespread in the Indo-WestPacific, from East Africa, including Madagascar, the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, to easternPolynesia; north to Japan and Hawaii, and south to northern New South Wales and Lord HoweIsland.

dorsal view

ventral view dorsal view

(after Lorenz and Hubert, 1993)

502 Gastropods

Cypraea maculifera Schilder, 1932

Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: Arabica maculifera (Schilder, 1932); Cypraea reticulata Martyn, 1784(Invalid name); Mauritia maculifera (Schilder, 1932) / Cypraea arabica Linnaeus, 1758.

En - Reticulated cowrie; Fr - Porcelaine réticulée.Maximum shell length 10 cm, commonly to 7 cm. In coral reefs, under slabs and rocks, or in gulliesand holes of the algal crests. Collected mainly for its shell. Tropical Pacific islands, from thePhilippines to eastern Polynesia and Clipperton Island off Central America; north to Midway andHawaii, and south to New Caledonia.

Cypraea moneta Linnaeus, 1758

Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: Erosaria moneta (Linnaeus, 1758); Monetaria moneta (Linnaeus, 1758) /None.

En - Money cowrie; Fr - Porcelaine monnaie.Maximum shell length 4.5 cm, commonly to 3 cm. Abundant in various environments, especially inshallow tide pools, among sea weeds, and under stones, coral remains or empty bivalve shells.Frequently occurring in the open, from high in the intertidal zone to shallow subtidal depths.Commonly collected in large quantities for shellcraft. Once used as a currency in Pacific and IndianOcean countries, the shell remains as a divinatory item by some animist tribes in tropical Africa.Widespread in the Indo-Pacific, from East and South Africa, including Madagascar, the Red Seaand the Persian Gulf, to eastern Polynesia, the Galapagos, Clipperton and Cocos islands off CentralAmerica; north to southern Japan, Midway and Hawaii, and south to northern New South Wales andLord Howe Island.

ventral view dorsal view(after Lorenz and Hubert, 1993)

ventral view

posterior view

(after Lorenz and Hubert, 1993)

Cypraeidae 503

Cypraea obvelata Lamarck, 1810

Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: Erosaria obvelata (Lamarck, 1810); Monetaria obvelata (Lamarck, 1810) /Cypraea annulus Linnaeus, 1758.

En - Walled cowrie; Fr - Porcelaine anneau d’or de Tahiti.Maximum shell length 3.5 cm, commonly to 2.5 cm. Under stones, inside holes of small corals oramong vegetation within the protecting reef. Intertidal and sublittoral zones to a depth of about 10 m.This common species is frequently collected in large quantities for the local Polynesian shellcraftindustries. Restricted to Polynesia, from Samoa and Tonga to Pitcairn Island; north to Palmyra andsouth to Rapa Iti.

Cypraea onyx Linnaeus, 1758

Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: Adusta onyx (Linnaeus, 1758); Cypraea adusta Lamarck, 1810; C. nymphaeJay, 1850; C. succinta Linnaeus, 1758; Erronea onyx (Linnaeus, 1758) / The taxonomy of C. onyx is rather confusing:C. adusta, C. nymphae, and C. succinta may represent distinct subspecies or species.

En - Onyx cowrie; Fr - Porcelaine onyx.Maximum shell length 5.7 cm, commonly to 4 cm. In reefs under coral slabs and rocks, or in muddyareas. Often found exposed during the day on rocks or among the roots in mangrove swamps.Intertidal and sublittoral waters to a depth of about 30 m. Incidentally collected in trawls. Used forsubsistence and shell trade. Widespread in the Indo-West Pacific, from East Africa, includingMadagascar and the Persian Gulf, to Micronesia; north to Japan and south to New Caledonia, butnot in Australia.

dorsal view

(after Lorenz and Hubert, 1993)

dorsal view

504 Gastropods

Cypraea schilderorum Iredale, 1939

Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: Lyncina schilderorum (Iredale, 1939); Ponda schilderorum (Iredale, 1939) /None.

En - Schilders’ cowrie; Fr - Porcelaine des Schilder.Maximum shell length 4.5 cm, commonly to 4 cm. Coral reef areas, under stones and slabs of thereef table, on the algal crest or in gullies of the outer slope among rubble. Often hidden under softcorals or sponges. Intertidal and sublittoral zones to a depth of about 30 m. Collected locally for foodand shell trade.Tropical western Pacific islands, from Taiwan Province of China to eastern Polynesia;north to southern Japan, Midway and Hawaii, and south to New Caledonia and Rapa Iti. Also inClipperton Island, off Central America.

Cypraea scurra Gmelin, 1791

Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: Arabica scurra (Gmelin, 1791); Mauritia scurra (Gmelin, 1791); Peribolusscurra (Gmelin, 1791) / None.

En - Jester cowrie; Fr - Porcelaine bouffon.Maximum shell length 6 cm, commonly to 5 cm. Often deeply buried in dead coral rubble withinreefs, or under coral heads over the reef edge. Lower intertidal zone and shallow sublittoral waterto a depth of about 10 m. Locally collected for food or shell trade. Widespread in the Indo-Pacific,from East Africa and Madagascar, but not in the Red Sea nor the Persian Gulf, to eastern Polynesiaand Clipperton Island off Central America; north to southern Japan, Midway and Hawaii, and southto northern New South Wales and New Caledonia.

ventral view

(after Lorenz and Hubert, 1993)

dorsal view

ventral view dorsal view

Cypraeidae 505

Cypraea ventriculus Lamarck, 1810

Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: Lyncina ventriculus (Lamarck, 1810); Ponda ventriculus (Lamarck, 1810) /None.

En - Tummy cowrie; Fr - Porcelaine gésier.Maximum shell length 7.5 cm, commonly to 5.5 cm. In coral reef areas, under coral slabs of lagoons,in gullies or on algal crests. Active during both day and night. Intertidal and sublittoral zones to adepth of about 30 m. Locally collected for food and shell trade. Tropical West Pacific islands, fromSouth China Sea to eastern Polynesia; north to Taiwan Province of China, Guam, Wake and Hawaii,and south to New Caledonia. Also known in the eastern Indian Ocean; in Cocos (Keeling) andChristmas Islands.

ventral view

(after Lorenz and Hubert, 1993)dorsal view

506 Gastropods

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