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Cowrie or cowry (pl. cowries) is the common name for a group of small to large sea snails in the family Cypraeidae. The term porcelain derives from the old Italian term for the cowrie shell (porcellana) due to their similar appearance. [1] Cowrie shells have held cultural, economic, and ornamental significance in various cultures.
The eating habits of cowries are poorly known, because most species are nocturnal and cryptic, but sponges are the most commonly described prey. Off the coasts of Australia , common cowry species eat sponges, [ 2 ] and on Caribbean coral reefs they are known to eat sponges that are otherwise chemically defended against other predators.
Palmadusta humphreyii, common name : Humphrey's cowrie, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.
These cowries live in warm tropical and subtropical waters, from intertidal zone to the shallow reef, at about 5–25 metres (16–82 ft) of depth, mainly on coral reefs, in caves, under rock slabs or on sandy seabed. They fear daylight and feed at dawn or dusk on algae, sponges, coral polyps and small crustaceans.
Cypraeovula fuscodentata (dark-toothed cowrie, also spelled 'cowry') is a species of medium-sized sea snail, a predatory marine gastropod mollusc in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries. [ 1 ] Subspecies
Cypraea pantherina, common name the panther cowry, is a species of large tropical sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.The panther cowry is one of only two species currently included in the genus Cypraea (the second species is Cypraea tigris, Linnaeus, 1758), as all other species previously belonging to the genus Cypraea have been reassigned to ...
Naria spurca, common name the dirty cowry, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries. [1] Description.
The shells of these quite common cowries reach on average 16–19 millimetres (0.63–0.75 in) of length, with a minimum size of 10 millimetres (0.39 in) and a maximum size of 28 millimetres (1.1 in). The surface of the shell is smooth and shiny, the colors usually range from pale brown to dark brown, with numerous small yellowish spots.