31 photos - 15 species
Introduction
A two-lobed mantle polishes and covers the shell.
They are collected all over the world for their beauty.
During the day they hide in crevices and caves.
They are nocturnal animals.
Cribrarula cribraria
Sieve cowrie
Maximum size: 4.4 cm
It belongs to the family of porcelain snails,
of which around 200 species are known to date.
Normally the shell is covered by a mantle,
in this snail it is light orange to bright red,
whose movement keeps the shell always very shiny.
Photos 1 - 2 Johnny: Bangka Island North Sulawesi
Cyphoma gibbosum
Egg shell or Flamingo tongue
Maximum size: 2.5 cm
Depth 2 - 14 m
Creamy white mantle with orange dots outlined in black.
Body is cream to white.
It lives on gorgonians, which it also feeds on.
Photo 1 Johnny: Bonaire Caribbean
Photos 2 - 4 Astrid: Bonaire Caribbean
Cypraea pantherina
Panther cowrie
Maximum 8 cm
Its shell is slimmer than that of its sister species, the tiger cowrie.
On the photos you can see the mantle of the cowrie closed, half open and fully open.
Photos 1 + 3 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt
Photo 2 Johnny: Bali Indonesia
Cypraea tigris
Tiger cowrie
Maximum 10 cm
Sister species of the Phanter cowrie, but has a wider shell.
On the photos you can see the mantle of the cowrie closed,
half open and fully open.
Photos 1 - 3 Astrid: Lembeh Strait North - Sulawesi
Erronea caurica
Dragon cowrie or Thick-edged cowrie
Maximum 7 cm
Cream-colored with speckles and dark spots.
Lives on coarse sand, rubble and dead coral.
Photo 1 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt
Photo 2 Astrid: Hurghada Egypt
Leporicypraea mappa
Map cowrie
Maximum size: 10.2 cm
White to cream-colored shell with several brown longitudinal lines
that are occasionally interrupted by white circles.
The pattern of the shell is reminiscent of a map, hence the name map cowrie.
Photo 1 Johnny: Bangka Island North Sulawesi
Luria cinerea
Atlantic grey cowrie, Atlantic gray cowrie or Ashen cowrie
Maximum size: 4.5 cm
Maximum depth: 0 - 1472 m
Worldwide distribution, and according to Wikipedia, this kauri has been recorded at a depth of 1472 m.
Nocturnal, lives in reefs in caves and under overhangs.
Most Luria snails have an almost black mantle, this species here differs from the others by a light, pale and translucent mantle.
Photos 1 - 2 Astrid: Bonaire Caribbean
Luria isabella
Isabel's cowry, Isabella cowry or Fawn-coloured cowry
Maximum size: 0.7 - 5.4 cm
Maximum depth: 1 - 35 m
Shell: Cylindrical, light beige to pale reddish brown.
Mantle: Matt black, velvety with very short papillae, covers the shell on both sides and forms a line in the pattern.
Smooth, roundish shell, toothed opening on the underside.
Active at night, hidden in crevices and holes during the day.
Photo 1 Johnny: Bangka Island North Sulawesi
Lyncina carneola
Carnelian cowrie or Purple mouthed cowrie
Maximum 8.5 cm
Light brown transverse bands on a cream-colored background.
Food: Waste, algae and sponges.
Photos 1 - 3 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt
Lyncina vitellus
Calf cowrie or Milk-spotted cowrie
Maximum size: 10 cm
Lives under stones or in crevices.
This specimen has pulled its “mantle” over the shell,
at the bottom right you can see a little of its shell.
Photo 1 Johnny: Moalboal Philippines
Mauritia grayana
Gray's arabica cowrie
Maximum 8 cm
It is cream-colored and has a brown net pattern with grey-white spots.
Her mantle ( see photo 1 ) is transparent with stringy appendages.
Photos 1 - 3 Johnny: Hurghada Egypt
Photo 4 Johnny: El Qesir Egypt
Mauritia mauritiana
Humpback cowrie, Chocolate cowrie, Mourning cowrie
or Black humped cowrie
Maximum size: 13 cm
Predominantly nocturnal animal.
Found at depths of up to 9 m under rocks near coral reefs.
Photo 1 Johnny: Bangka Island North Sulawesi
Naria acicularis
Atlantic yellow cowrie
Maximum size: 3.1 cm
Maximum depth: up to 780 m
The mantle edge of the shell overgrows the shell from both sides
and forms a line where it meets on the back.
Omnivorous.
Photos 1 - 2 Astrid: Bonaire Caribbean
Naria labrolineata
Naria Labrolineata or Labrolineata cowrie
Maximum length: 5 cm
Porcelain snails can completely retract their mantle when in danger.
They are normally algae eaters, but can also eat corals when there are no algae.
Photo 1 Johnny: Bangka Island North Sulawesi
Naria turdus
Thrush cowrie
Maximum length: 6 cm
Maximum depth: 20 - 40 m
Not too much is known about this species,
except that it is already found almost everywhere as an invasive species,
probably carried along with the balast water of ships,
as they have planktonic larvae.
So far it has been found in Israel, Gulf of Gabes in Tunisia, Lampedusa in Italy,
Aruba and Bonaire in the Caribbean, Florida, Costa Rica, Venezuela and Puerto Rico.
Photo 1 Johnny: Bonaire Caribbean