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| shelled snails text index | photo index |
| Phylum Mollusca > Class Gastropoda > Family Cypraeidea |
| Arabian
cowrie Cypraea arabica Family Cypraeidae updated Feb 11 Where seen? This amazing snail is among the large cowries sometimes seen near reefs on our Southern shores. It is more active at night. Features: 5-8cm. The shell pattern on the upperside is variable. The underside has brown spots on the outer edges and brown 'teeth'. Those encountered not seen with mantle covering the entire 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." |
 Labrador, Jun 05  |
 Animal emerging from shell. |
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 Underside with spots and brown 'teeth'. |
Arabian cowries on Singapore shores
 Tanah Merah, Oct 09 |
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 Labrador, Jul 05  |
 St. John's Island, Sep 04  |
 Raffles Lighthouse, Aug 06  |
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Links
References
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Graham Brash, Singapore. 145 pp.
. IKAN-Unterwasserachiv. 723pp.|
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