''Callistocypraea aurantium'', (formerly classified inside genus

lyncina ''Lyncina'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries. Species Species within the genus ''Lyncina'' include: *'' Lyncina aliceae'' Lum, 2013 * † '' Lyncina amygdalina'' (Grateloup, 1846) * † ...

)

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often con ...

the golden cowrie, is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

sea snail Sea snails are slow-moving marine (ocean), marine gastropod Mollusca, molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the Taxonomic classification, taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguishe ...

, a

cowry Cowrie or cowry () is the common name for a group of small to large sea snails in the family Cypraeidae. Cowrie shells have held cultural, economic, and ornamental significance in various cultures. The cowrie was the shell most widely used wo ...

, a marine

gastropod Gastropods (), commonly known as slugs and snails, belong to a large Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, freshwater, and fro ...

mollusk Mollusca is a phylum of protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum after Arthropoda. The ...

in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Cypraeidae Cypraeidae, common name, commonly named the cowries ( cowry or cowrie), is a Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic family (biology), family of small to large sea snails. These are marine (ocean), marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Cypraeoidea, ...

, the cowries.

Distribution

This is an uncommon-to-rare species which is found in the tropical waters of the west-central to south-central

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

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.

Shell description

This is a large cowry, long. The shell that is yellowish brown to reddish orange on the dorsum, with white to cream colored margins. The mantle of the golden cowry is a combination of dark gray with translucent spots and patches that the orange color of the shell shows through. The scattered branching papillae are brownish gray, often white at the bases and tips.

Human use

In the past, on the

Fiji Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...

Islands, this shell, known as "bulikula", was drilled at the ends and worn on a string around the neck by chieftains as a symbol of rank or privilege.Cowries as a badge of rank in Fiji.
(archived) As the shells are rare, they are prized by collectors.

References

* ''A Guide To Shell Collecting In The Kwajalein Atoll'', F.B. Brost and R.D. Coale, 1971.

External links

On-line articles with ''Cypraea aurantium'' in the HAWAIIAN SHELL NEWS (1960-1994)

WoRMS page
{{Taxonbar, from2=Q138730, from1=Q61702279 Cypraeidae Gastropods described in 1791 Taxa named by Johann Friedrich Gmelin