The tiger cowrie (Cypraea tigris) is one of the larger species of cowrie. They are marine snails in the family Cypraeidae. They are an extremely attractive sight as they move across the reef. They are nocturnal and are only seen on the move at night. During the day they can be seen on the reef holed up in their shells, sometimes in the open.
APPEARANCE
Roughly egg-shaped, the shell is glossy on the exterior and measures up to 15 cm in length. Most are however in the 10 cm range. The exterior of the shell is a pale whitish color covered with a large number of dark brown or blackish spots. On the lower section of the shell it is a whitish color and the opening is lined with tooth-like serrations.
The mantle extends upwards from each side and the two sections meet on the top of the shell so as to cover it completely. As can be seen in the images the mantle is a dark brown or black color with lighter brown spots. The mantle can withdraw completely into the shell for protection. There are numerous thin projections which are white tipped. The coloration varies greatly from location to location. There are three different specimens in the images and the color variations between each are noticeable.
IN THE WILD
Tiger cowries are seldom seen with their mantles out during the day and are usually in hiding during daylight. On rare occasions they are seen out in open with the mantle retracted. Presumably because there was no convenient hiding spot. They are preyed upon by some species of fish, octopus which bite through their shells and cone shells.
HABITAT
The tiger cowrie is found across the Indo-Pacific region, from the east coast of Africa including Madagascar to Micronesia and Polynesia, the Coral Sea and the Philippines. Along the Australian Coast they are found on the west coast of Australia, including Lord Howe Island. They are found in East Africa from depths of 1 meter to 40 meters. They are usually found on reefs but have also been seen on sandy bottoms and in grass beds.
DIET
The adult tiger cowrie eats coral, sponges and various invertebrates, while the juveniles eat algae.
REPRODUCTION
The tiger cowrie is either male or female and after mating the female will lay the eggs and cover them with their foot. This is unusual amongst gastropods and is probably one of the reasons they are such a successful species. Once the eggs hatch they enter a planktonic stage and then develop into young adults. Interestingly once a cowrie has reached its adult size the shell stops growing.
COMMERCIAL EXPLOITATION
Once common throughout most of its range, it is now much less common due to shell collecting and destruction of its habitat through development and other activities such as dynamite fishing, especially in shallower areas.
AQUARIUMS
They can be kept in aquariums and are in demand for rock type aquariums. Because of their size they can push rocks over if they are not well bedded. Because of their predatory nature and diet of sponges and soft corals and other marine organisms they are not suitable for reef tanks. It should also be remembered that they are nocturnal and feed at night and as such may not be seen much.
IMAGES
TIGER COWRIE CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Caenogastropoda
clade Hypsogastropoda
clade Littorinimorpha
Superfamily: Cypraeoidea
Family: Cypraeidae
Subfamily: Cypraeinae
Genus: Cypraea
Species:C. tigris