Mauritia depressa (Gray, 1824) Depressed cowrie |
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photo by
FAO |
Family: | Cypraeidae (cowries) | |||
Max. size: | 6 cm ShH (male/unsexed) | |||
Environment: | benthic; marine | |||
Distribution: | Indo-Pacific: East Africa to eastern Polynesia; absent from Australia, apart from some oceanic coral reefs off northwest Australia. | |||
Diagnosis: | ||||
Biology: | Locally collected for food or for its shell (Ref. 349). Inhabits rather rough waters, under slabs and stones or in hollow corals near the wave swept edge. Active at night on algal crests and rock platforms. Also found in shallow subtidal zones (Ref. 349). | |||
IUCN Red List Status: | Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. 123251) | |||
Threat to humans: | harmless | |||
Country info: |
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