Cypraea tigris
A large, glossy cowry with dark spots, type species of Cypraea.
The tiger cowrie (Cypraea tigris) is a large marine gastropod mollusk belonging to the cowrie family, Cypraeidae. Carl Linnaeus first described this species in the 1758 tenth edition of his *Systema Naturae*, and it retains that original name. The species name *tigris* refers to its common name, though the shell is covered in spots rather than stripes. This cowrie serves as the type species for the genus *Cypraea*.
Several forms and a variety have been recognized: *Cypraea tigris* form *incana* (Sulliotti, 1924), form *lyncicrosa* (Steadman & Cotton, 1943), and form *tuberculifera* (Sulliotti, 1924). The variety *Cypraea tigris* var. *schilderiana* (Cate, 1961) is distinguished by its large size—10 to 13 centimeters—and the absence of a thick marginal callus. This variety occurs in the Hawaiian Islands, Johnston Island, and Vietnam.
The shell is roughly egg-shaped, dextral, glossy, large, and heavy for a cowrie, reaching up to 15 centimeters (6 inches) in length. Its upper, or dorsal, side is white, pale bluish-white, or buff, densely marked with dark brown or blackish, nearly circular spots. Like many other *Cypraea* snails, the shell surface is notably shiny, as if polished. A blurred red line sometimes runs along the midline of the dorsal surface. The lower margins are rounded, lacking a sharp edge between the upper and lower surfaces. The ventral side is white or whitish, and the shell opening is lined with tooth-like serrations. As in almost all cowries, two lateral extensions of the mantle can spread to cover the shell completely, meeting at the dorsal midline; the mantle can also retract into the shell opening when threatened. The outer surface of the mantle bears numerous white-tipped, pin-like projections.
The tiger cowrie inhabits the ocean floor across the Indo-Pacific region, from the eastern coast of Africa to Micronesia, Polynesia, the Coral Sea, and the Philippines. Along the Australian coast, it ranges from northern New South Wales to northern Western Australia, including Lord Howe Island, and also occurs along the east coast of Africa, including Madagascar. It is found at depths of 10 to 40 meters (35–130 feet), often associated with live coral colonies such as table-forming *Acropora*, either on reefs or on nearby sandy bottoms.
Quick Facts
- Taxon
- Cypraea tigris
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The tiger cowrie shell is roughly egg-shaped and dextral, large and heavy for a cowry, measuring up to 15 cm in length. The dorsal side is white, pale bluish-white, or buff, densely covered with dark brown or blackish barely circular spots; the surface is notably effulgent, as if deliberately polished. A blurred red line sometimes runs along the midline of the dorsal surface. The lower margins are rounded, and the ventral side is white or whitish, with the shell opening lined with tooth-like serrations. As in almost all cypraeids, two lateral extensions of the mantle can cover the shell completely, meeting at the midline; the mantle exterior has numerous white-tipped pin-like projections.
The species is found on the ocean floor in the Indo-Pacific region, from the eastern coast of Africa to Micronesia, Polynesia, the Coral Sea, and around the Philippines. Along the Australian coast it occurs from northern New South Wales to northern Western Australia, as well as Lord Howe Island, and along the east coast of Africa including Madagascar. It lives between depths of 10 and 40 metres, often associated with live coral colonies such as table-forming Acropora, either on reefs or nearby sandy bottoms. Once common, it is now much less abundant due to shell collecting and habitat destruction from processes such as dynamite fishing, especially in shallower areas. This species is endangered in Singapore.
Reader's Guide
The tiger cowrie has been known since antiquity; shells of this species and the related panther cowrie have been unearthed at Pompeii, where they may have been used as ornaments or as part of a natural history collection. The shells remain popular among shell collectors and are used as decorative objects in modern times. In Japan, some women hold a shell of this species during childbirth, as it is believed to help facilitate childbirth. In Europe, large cowry shells such as this were used as a frame over which sock heels were stretched for darning, the smooth surface allowing the darning needle to be positioned more easily than with a wooden darning mushroom.
The Hawaiian variety Cypraea tigris var. schilderiana naturally preys on invasive sponges, including Dysidea spp., Mycale grandis, M. parishii, Haliclona caerulea, H. coerulea, Cladocroce burapha, and Gelliodes wilsoni. Compounds in Monanchora clathrata acted as a repellent, so C. t. schilderiana avoided them. This variety was found to be controlling invasive populations, showing its importance in maintaining the normal variety of life in Hawaiian marine habitats by constraining invasive species.
Did You Know?
- The shell of Cypraea tigris is spotted, not striped, despite its name 'tiger'.
- The Hawaiian variety C. t. schilderiana preys on invasive sponges, helping control their populations.
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