Mauritia grayana
An Arabian endemic cowry with a gray-brown spotted dorsum.
Mauritia grayana, called Gray's arabica cowry, is a marine gastropod mollusk in the cowry family Cypraeidae. This Arabian endemic species lives in the Red Sea and the western Indian Ocean, off the coasts of Eritrea, Somalia, and Pakistan.
The shells are quite common, oval, smooth, and shiny. They typically measure 44 to 52 mm in length, though they can reach up to 80 mm and as small as 17 mm. The upper surface is light gray-brown, marked with gray spots and many thin longitudinal lines, plus a wide stripe running down the middle. Near the edges, a grayish border is dotted with dark brown spots. The underside is pale brown, with a wide opening and fine dark brown teeth on both the outer and inner lips. In living animals, the mantle is well developed, fairly grayish and nearly transparent, with short papillae and external antennae.
These cowries inhabit tropical shallow waters, usually at depths of 2 to 5 meters, and often in the low intertidal zone. During the day they hide in coral caves or under reef blocks to avoid light, and they begin feeding at dawn or dusk on sponges or coral polyps.
Two subspecies are recognized: Mauritia grayana grayana and Mauritia grayana ngai.
Quick Facts
- Genus
- Mauritia (gastropod)
- Species
- grayana
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Mauritia grayana has an oval, smooth and shiny shell. The dorsum surface is light gray-brown, with several gray spots and many thin longitudinal lines. In the middle of the dorsum there is a wide longitudinal stripe. Close to the edges there is a grayish wide frame with several dark brown spots. The base is pale brown, with a wide aperture and fine dark brown teeth on both the outer and inner lips. In living individuals the mantle is well developed, quite grayish and almost transparent, with short papillae and external antennae. These mollusks live in tropical shallow waters, mainly at about 2 to 5 meters of depth, often in the low intertidal zone. During the day the living cowries are usually hidden in coral caves or beneath the reef block, as they fear the light. They start feeding at dawn or dusk on sponges or coral polyps.
Reader's Guide
Mauritia grayana is a quite common shell in its range, reaching an average length of 44 to 52 mm, with a maximum size of 80 mm and a minimum of 17 mm. Its distinctive coloration—a light gray-brown dorsum with gray spots, thin longitudinal lines, a wide central stripe, and a grayish frame with dark brown spots—makes it recognizable among Arabian cowries. The species is endemic to the Red Sea and the western Indian Ocean, recorded from Eritrea, Somalia, and Pakistan. Its behavior of hiding in coral caves or under reef blocks during the day and feeding at dawn or dusk on sponges or coral polyps reflects its adaptation to bright tropical waters. The two recognized subspecies, Mauritia grayana grayana and Mauritia grayana ngai, indicate some morphological variation within the population. The species has been documented in malacological literature since the early 20th century, with references including works by Schilder and Schilder, Fishelson, Lorenz and Hubert, and Burgess.
Did You Know?
- Mauritia grayana has a maximum shell length of 80 mm and a minimum of 17 mm.
- The mantle of living individuals is grayish, almost transparent, with short papillae and external antennae.
- This species is endemic to the Arabian region, found in the Red Sea and western Indian Ocean.
- It feeds on sponges or coral polyps, starting at dawn or dusk.
More in Cowries 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced