Shells of South
East Queensland

Tweed Heads to Noosa
Cypraeidae

Lyncina vitellus

(Linnaeus, 1758)
Shell: moderately small to medium, ovate to pyriform , ranging from 34-68 mm. Spire concealed. Teeth: 18 to 27 columellar teeth; 20 to 28 labral teeth. Sculpture: smooth, porcelaneous. Aperture elongate, narrow. Exterior colour tan crossed by three dark brown axial band; dorsum covered in diffuse white spots of varying size; base cream; margins darker, becoming dark brown with numerous striations towards the dorsum. Mantle line indistinct.


Specimens

Myora light,  Australia
Size: 53.66mm    Collected: 1989
under large coral slabs in 1m of water 0.4m tide

forma: orcina  (Iredale, 1931)
This form from S QLD- New Zealand. Calloused; extremities blunt; dorsal window narrow.
Myora light,  Australia
Size: 42.47mm    Collected: 1998
Under rocks on intertidal reef at low tide.

Caloundra [Nth Headland],  Australia
Size: 57.67mm    Collected: 1987
found under a rock on rocky reef at low tide. The area is in the wave crash zone at high tide level dead juvenile C. vitellus found

Curtain Artificial Reef,  Australia
Size: mm    Collected: 2000
found dead in sand in 25m of water, on artificial reef

Myora Reef, Queensland,  Australia
Size: 50.01mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from intertidal reef by hand [low tide]. Dead collected Collected by Robert Ellis 5/6/1995

Myora Reef, Queensland,  Australia
Size: 42.77mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from intertidal reef by hand [low tide]. Dead collected Collected by Robert Ellis 5/6/1998

forma: orcina  Iredale, 1931

Peel Island,  Australia
Size: 46.1mm    Collected: Unknown
No data.

Lamont Reef,  Australia
Size: 42.59mm    Collected: 2019
Under rocks on weather edge of reef. At low tide.

Lamont Reef, Queensland,  Australia
Size: 4478mm    Collected: 1996
No data. Dead collected Collected by Robert Ellis August 1996

Sykes Reef,  Australia
Size: 34.67mm    Collected: 2019
Under coral rock on weather edge of reef at low tide.

Sykes Reef,  Australia
Size: 41.41mm    Collected: 2019
On intertidal reef under dead coral slab. Common in the area

Mackerel Reef 21-466,  Australia
Size: 68.32mm    Collected: 2011
On reef at 5-20m depth.

Dingo Beach,  Australia
Size: 58.89mm    Collected: Unknown
On reef at 5-20m depth.

Lamont Reef, Queensland,  Australia
Size: 42.91mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from under coral slabs on intertidal coral reef by low at low tide. Dead collected Collected by Robert Ellis 26/8/2003

North West Cape,  Australia
Size: 28.9mm    Collected: 1975
No data.

South Muiron Island,  Australia
Size: 47.9mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from under rocks on coral reef at 1-3 m.

Mornington Island,  Australia
Size: 65.51mm    Collected: 1991
Trawled at 38 m.

General Store,  Solomon Islands
Size: mm    Collected: 2000
found dead in 5m of water on coral reef

Port Moresby,  Papua New Guinea
Size: 43.49mm    Collected: 1983
No data.

forma: polynesiae  F. A. Schilder & M. Schilder, 1939

Nadi,  Fiji
Size: 39.36mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from under slabs on shallow reef by Hookah diver.

Secret Beach,  Australia
Size: 66.42mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from Under rocks on coral and rock reef at 2-3 m by Snorkel. Dead collected

Investigator Shoals,  Malaysia
Size: 34.75mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from amongst coral on coral slope at 8-45 m by scuba diver.

forma: dama  Perry, 1811

Durban,  South Africa
Size: 41.03mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from among rocks on wave swept reef by hand [low tide].