Scott & Jeanette Johnson, Kwajalein Unterwater
Info
Mauritia histrio is a shell snail in the family Cypraeidae, known as porcelain snails.
Porcelain snails have a smooth, rounded shell, with a narrow toothed opening on the underside.
In living porcelain snails, the mantle overgrows the shell from both sides. Where the mantle meets on the top of the shell, a line can be seen in the pattern.
Porcelain snails are nocturnal, feed omnivorously, and are found primarily in tropical waters.
The beautifully patterned surface of the cowrie shell with its beige base is covered with many bright spots with delicate brown-orange edges.
Species known to secrete acid
Habitats: deeper fringing reefs, and microhabitats among corals and boulders.
Synonyms:
Cypraea histrio Gmelin, 1791
Cypraea reticulata Martyn, 1784
Mauritia (Arabica) histrio (Gmelin, 1791)
Mauritia (Arabica) histrio var. duploreticulata Coen, 1949
Nerita squamulata Le Guillou, 1841
Porcelain snails have a smooth, rounded shell, with a narrow toothed opening on the underside.
In living porcelain snails, the mantle overgrows the shell from both sides. Where the mantle meets on the top of the shell, a line can be seen in the pattern.
Porcelain snails are nocturnal, feed omnivorously, and are found primarily in tropical waters.
The beautifully patterned surface of the cowrie shell with its beige base is covered with many bright spots with delicate brown-orange edges.
Species known to secrete acid
Habitats: deeper fringing reefs, and microhabitats among corals and boulders.
Synonyms:
Cypraea histrio Gmelin, 1791
Cypraea reticulata Martyn, 1784
Mauritia (Arabica) histrio (Gmelin, 1791)
Mauritia (Arabica) histrio var. duploreticulata Coen, 1949
Nerita squamulata Le Guillou, 1841
