Cypraea aurantium
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| Golden cowry | ||||||||||||||
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 Cypraea aurantium
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| Cypraea aurantium Gmelin 1791 |
Cypraea aurantium, commonly known as the Golden cowry, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.
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[edit] Distribution
This is an uncommon-to-rare species which is found in Indo-Pacific tropical waters.
[edit] Habitat
This animal is usually found on the ocean side of islands, on the reef, at depths of 30 to 100+ feet. It normally hides in the coral during daylight and comes out to feed at night.
[edit] Shell description
This is a large cowry (80 to 100 mm long). It is orange on the dorsum, with white to cream colored margins.
[edit] Human use
These rare shells are prized by collectors. In the past, they were worn by Fijian chiefs as a symbol of rank or privilege.
[edit] References
A Guide To Shell Collecting In The Kwajalein Atoll, F.B. Brost and R.D. Coale, 1971.
