Cowrie ID

[JAKE E C]

Hi All,

Got a small cowrie hitchhiker. Has a bright orange mantle, with a brown/white shell, maybe 1cm long. First impressions from Google suggest possibly cypraea/zonaria pyrum, pear cowrie? It's a cool little critter! Hoping to find out if reef safe or a new sump inhabitant.

Thanks!

Mantle closed:

Mantle extended:

 

[Gumbies R Us]

@ISpeakForTheSeas @BristleWormHater

 

[BristleWormHater]

Hi All,

Got a small cowrie hitchhiker. Has a bright orange mantle, with a brown/white shell, maybe 1cm long. First impressions from Google suggest possibly cypraea/zonaria pyrum, pear cowrie? It's a cool little critter! Hoping to find out if reef safe or a new sump inhabitant.

Thanks!

Mantle closed:

Mantle extended:

Thats a cool little dude!
Could you get a photo of the underside? Try to get him to retreat into the shell for a clear picture of the aperture (the opening of the shell). That will go a long way with ID since the number and orientation of the teeth along the aperture are pretty important to ID cowries.

 

[JAKE E C]

Thats a cool little dude!
Could you get a photo of the underside? Try to get him to retreat into the shell for a clear picture of the aperture (the opening of the shell). That will go a long way with ID since the number and orientation of the teeth along the aperture are pretty important to ID cowries.

He's very pretty! I was moving frags around when I felt him and instinctively picked it off thinking it was a stomatella. Had a slight panic when I saw the colour thinking a potential cone in my hand.

Will try and get a good shot of the underneath shortly, bare with!

 

[JAKE E C]

Thats a cool little dude!
Could you get a photo of the underside? Try to get him to retreat into the shell for a clear picture of the aperture (the opening of the shell). That will go a long way with ID since the number and orientation of the teeth along the aperture are pretty important to ID cowries.

Poor little guy's probably fed up with me prodding him with toothpicks!

Does this help?

 

[BristleWormHater]

Poor little guy's probably fed up with me prodding him with toothpicks!

Does this help?

Any idea as to the origin of this guy? Any live rock you got from a specific region?
Im thinking maybe a fringed cowrie, Purpuradusta fimbriata. They range from the North pacific to the Indian ocean, so liverock from Australia, Indonesia, or even Hawaii could be an explanation, but if you didnt get any that would likely rule this guess out. Their shell patterns are pretty variable, but the orange flesh matches. Could also be another member of Purpuradusta. Im going to watch that video back and take a closer look at the aperture, but I dont have time at the moment.
A broader ID, would be the tribe Erroneini, this guy seems to fit their morphological description, with a defined callus opposite the teeth on the aperture. Also a mantle that covers the shell is a another characteristic of Erroneini, although I dont think they are the only cowries that have this.
Heres some links
Fringed cowrie info:
https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=390567https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/503194-Purpuradusta-fimbriataTirbe Erroneini info
https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=411676https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1363956-Erroneini

 

[Sean Clark]

Cool critter.

 

[BristleWormHater]

Poor little guy's probably fed up with me prodding him with toothpicks!

Does this help?

Also, this guy should go in the sump, fringed cowries eat gorgonians and other soft corals. Even if its not a fringed cowrie, most cowries ard not reef safe bevause they eat corals or other snails. Try to get a picture of it in the water with the mantle extended, that will also help with ID

ISpeakForTheSeas will probably have a better ID when he gets to this thread.

 

[BryanM]

Also, this guy should go in the sump, fringed cowries eat gorgonians and other soft corals. Even if its not a fringed cowrie, most cowries ard not reef safe bevause they eat corals or other snails. Try to get a picture of it in the water with the mantle extended, that will also help with ID

Too bad, love its colors. Cute critter, but better safe than sorry ATM!

 

[JAKE E C]

Any idea as to the origin of this guy? Any live rock you got from a specific region?
Im thinking maybe a fringed cowrie, Purpuradusta fimbriata. They range from the North pacific to the Indian ocean, so liverock from Australia, Indonesia, or even Hawaii could be an explanation, but if you didnt get any that would likely rule this guess out. Their shell patterns are pretty variable, but the orange flesh matches. Could also be another member of Purpuradusta. Im going to watch that video back and take a closer look at the aperture, but I dont have time at the moment.
A broader ID, would be the tribe Erroneini, this guy seems to fit their morphological description, with a defined callus opposite the teeth on the aperture. Also a mantle that covers the shell is a another characteristic of Erroneini, although I dont think they are the only cowries that have this.
Heres some links
Fringed cowrie info:
https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=390567https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/503194-Purpuradusta-fimbriataTirbe Erroneini info
https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=411676https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1363956-Erroneini

Wow, thank you very much! To your question, unfortunately nothing specific. I did add live rock when I first set the tank up, both Indo and Australian, but that was over a year ago. My suspicion is he's come on a frag, as I found him when re-arranging two of my coral gardens which I did just add to this weekend.

The first you shared does look similar! Especially with the bright orange mantle. I will try and get a shot of him open, I do have this one, but it's a little far. One thing I do notice is it doesn't have the white 'spikes' some of the ones in the links do, its mantle looks more smooth. Will try and get some better shots before adding to the sump.

Also, this guy should go in the sump, fringed cowries eat gorgonians and other soft corals. Even if its not a fringed cowrie, most cowries ard not reef safe bevause they eat corals or other snails. Try to get a picture of it in the water with the mantle extended, that will also help with ID

ISpeakForTheSeas will probably have a better ID when he gets to this thread.

Thanks for confirming. I had figured, however I like to collect weird inverts so a small part was hoping!

Too bad, love its colors. Cute critter, but better safe than sorry ATM!

It's a beaut for sure!

 

[BristleWormHater]

Wow, thank you very much! To your question, unfortunately nothing specific. I did add live rock when I first set the tank up, both Indo and Australian, but that was over a year ago. My suspicion is he's come on a frag, as I found him when re-arranging two of my coral gardens which I did just add to this weekend.

The first you shared does look similar! Especially with the bright orange mantle. I will try and get a shot of him open, I do have this one, but it's a little far. One thing I do notice is it doesn't have the white 'spikes' some of the ones in the links do, its mantle looks more smooth. Will try and get some better shots before adding to the sump.

Thanks for confirming. I had figured, however I like to collect weird inverts so a small part was hoping!

It's a beaut for sure!

Does the mantle lack the white "spikes" even when its the water? That's why I asked for a picture with the mantle extended while in the water.

 

[Pat's Reef]

Hi All,

Got a small cowrie hitchhiker. Has a bright orange mantle, with a brown/white shell, maybe 1cm long. First impressions from Google suggest possibly cypraea/zonaria pyrum, pear cowrie? It's a cool little critter! Hoping to find out if reef safe or a new sump inhabitant.

Thanks!

Mantle closed:

Mantle extended:

Cowries are usually ok. Bigger ones can be bulldozers though. I kept a couple small money cowries and they even reproduced in the tank.

 

[betareef]

This one is 'juvenile' which means it hasn't fully formed the calloused looking base, and the patterns and colours will be off - thus making it harder to ID.

The most common it could be is Cypraea subviridus

 

[betareef]

or, given small size Cypraea gracilus maculata (the spots on the base will develop as it matures) and this one may be even more common than the above

 

[BristleWormHater]

This one is 'juvenile' which means it hasn't fully formed the calloused looking base, and the patterns and colours will be off - thus making it harder to ID.

The most common it could be is Cypraea subviridus

or, given small size gracilus maculata (the spots on the base will develop as it matures) and this one may be even more common than the above

I would rule out C. subviridis, they have black flesh unlike OP's cowrie, C. gracilus has the same orange flesh.
A broader ID I think we can agree on is the family Cypraeidae since it encompasses both genera, Cypraea and Purpuradusta

 

[betareef]

I would rule out C. subviridis, they have black flesh unlike OP's cowrie, C. gracilus has the same orange flesh.
A broader ID I think we can agree on is the family Cypraeidae since it encompasses both genera, Cypraea and Purpuradusta

Then there's the tiny fimbriata, it has red flesh

 

[BristleWormHater]

Then there's the tiny fimbriata, it has red flesh

That was my suggestion, Cypraea fimbriata was reclassified to Purpuradusta fimbriata.

 

[betareef]

That was my suggestion, Cypraea fimbriata was reclassified to Purpuradusta fimbriata.

I see - sorry I missed your post.

Around here (Barrier Reef and coastal Queensland), gracilus maculata is about the third or fourth most common cowrie, whereas fimbriata is relatively rare.

Also, to answer your point about mantles, nearly all cowries have a mantle that covers the whole shell. Some tend to keep it fully raised more often than others however.

One of my favourite cowries - cribraria

 

[JAKE E C]

Sorry guys, still trying to get a shot of him with his mantle out. Seems he's taken offence to me toothpicking him

Will share a shot as soon as I capture one! Will soon add him to the tank as worried about food.

 

[BristleWormHater]

Sorry guys, still trying to get a shot of him with his mantle out. Seems he's taken offence to me toothpicking him

Will share a shot as soon as I capture one! Will soon add him to the tank as worried about food.

Make sure its a pic with the mantle out IN the water