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| shelled snails text index | photo index |
| Phylum Mollusca > Class Gastropoda > Family Cypraeidea |
| Arabian
cowrie Mauritia arabica Family Cypraeidae updated Jul 2020 Where seen? This amazing snail is among the large cowries sometimes seen near reefs on our Southern shores. It is more active at night. It was previously known as Cypraea arabica. Features: 5-8cm. Shell egg-shaped, generally bluish with pattern of fine dotted brown lines, but patterns vary. Underside pale beige to light orange with brown spots and brown or orange 'teeth'. The living animal has a mantle covered with fine white 'hairs'. Siphon and tentacles black. So far, we have not encountered a living animal with the mantle covering the entire shell. |
 Labrador, Jun 05 |
 'Teeth' brown or orange. |
 Animal emerging from shell. |
| Human uses: It is collected for food by coastal dwellers and the shell is used for shellcraft and for the shell trade. |
| Status and threats: It is listed as 'Vulnerable' on the Red List of threatened animals of Singapore, due to habitat loss and overcollection. According to the Singapore Red Data Book: although "specimens can still be found they are much less abundant than in the 1960's." |
 Tanah Merah, Oct 09 |
 Kusu Island, May 05 |
| Arabian cowries on Singapore shores |
On wildsingapore
flickr
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| Other sightings on Singapore shores |
 Tanah Merah, Jul 09 |
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