Shells of South
East Queensland

Tweed Heads to Noosa
Cypraeidae

Mauritia arabica

(Linnaeus, 1758)
Shell: moderately small to medium, heavy, ovate , ranging from 25-80 mm. Spire partially covered by outer tip. Teeth: 22 to 25 columellar teeth; 21 to 22 labral teeth. Sculpture: smooth, porcelaneous; margins thickened and calloused. Aperture elongate, narrow, slightly wider at anterior. Exterior colour blue grey background crossed by diffuse brown chevron bands centrally and at each end; dorsum overlaid with network of dashes, lines and hieroglyphs interrupted by clear space; base cream; teeth highlighted brown; margins cream with heavy spotting towards the dorsum. Mantle line distinct.


Specimens

Amity Point,  Australia
 Size: 50.91mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from under intertidal rock on rock wall at low water mark on 0.4m tide.
Alexandra Headland,  Australia
 Size: 25mm    Collected: Unknown
Dead collected. Juvenile specimen.
Alexandra Headland,  Australia
 Size: 50.93mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected on rock platform at low tide.
Amity Point, Queensland,  Australia
 Size: 63.32mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from under rocks on rock wall at 3 m by scuba diver.

Myora light,  Australia
 Size: 56.87mm    Collected: 1989
under rocks and coral clumps in 10cm of water on sand flats 0.4m tide juvenile specimen
Flat Rock,  Australia
 Size: 54.23mm    Collected: 2000
found dead in 15m of water on rock reef
Caloundra [Nth Headland],  Australia
 Size: 65.98mm    Collected: 1987
found under a rock on rocky reef at low tide. The area is in the wave crash zone at high tide level

Sykes Reef,  Australia
 Size: 52.12mm    Collected: 2019
On intertidal reef under dead coral slab. Extreamly common in the area
Wilson Island,  Australia
 Size: 54.32mm    Collected: 1997
Under rocks on intertidal reef at low tide.
Spider Bay,  Australia
 Size: 64.29mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from under algae covered rocks and coral slabs on slightly silty rock and coral reef at 2-3 m by hand [low tide] at extreme low tide [-0.2m].

Erskine Island, Queensland,  Australia
 Size: 55.85mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected on intertidal coral reef by hand [low tide]. Collected by Robert Ellis 29/8/2003
Gould Reef, Queensland,  Australia
 Size: 48.61mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from under coral slabs on intertidal coral reef by hand [low tide]. Collected by Robert Ellis 17/8/2001
Lamont Reef, Queensland,  Australia
 Size: 52.83mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from under coral slabs on intertidal coral reef by hand [low tide]. Collected by Robert Ellis 12/8/2010
Lamont Reef, Queensland,  Australia
 Size: 50.38mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from under coral slabs on intertidal coral reef by hand [low tide]. Collected by Robert Ellis 8/9/1998
Tryon Island, Queensland,  Australia
 Size: 60.91mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected on intertidal coral reef by hand [low tide]. Collected by Robert Ellis 10/8/1990
forma: westralis  Cate, C.N., 1964
Finucane Island,  Australia
 Size: 50.95mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from exposed muddy, rocky reef at low tide.
 Western Australian form.
Uepi- Dive Jetty,  Solomon Islands
 Size: mm    Collected: 2000
found dead in sand on coral reef in 15m of water
General Store,  Solomon Islands
 Size: mm    Collected: 2000
found dead on coral reef in 10meters of water
Gemo Island,  Papua New Guinea
 Size: 43.97mm    Collected: 1983
found under exposed algea covered rocks on the shoreline of the island Many C. arabica present
Man Friday Resort,  Fiji
 Size: 45.27mm    Collected: 1997
found dead on coral reef in 3 meters of water
Subspecies: Mauritia arabica asiatica  Schilder & Schilder, 1939
 slightly flattened dorsum; flattened, greyish base; fiiner, crowded marginal spotting
 Kudat,  Malaysia
 Size: 40.11mm    Collected: 2004
intertidal on volcanic rock collected 2004
Katori Maru Wreck,  Malaysia
 Size: 76.02mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from amongst rubble and steel plates of ship at 12-15m. Ship sank in Dec 1941
 This form from deepish water in the Sth China Sea. Very large, inflated; base distinctly concave; angular margins; dorsum finely reticulate.
Subspecies: Mauritia arabica asiatica  Schilder & Schilder, 1939
 slightly flattened dorsum; flattened, greyish base; fiiner, crowded marginal spotting
 Cam Ranh Bay,  Vietnam
 Size: 58.52mm    Collected: 2017
No data
Subspecies: Mauritia arabica asiatica  F. A. Schilder & M. Schilder, 1939
 slightly flattened dorsum; flattened, greyish base; fiiner, crowded marginal spotting
 Phuket,  Thailand
 Size: 55.39mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from amongst boulders and coral rubble at 1-2m.
Subspecies: Mauritia arabica asiatica  Schilder & Schilder, 1939
 slightly flattened dorsum; flattened, greyish base; fiiner, crowded marginal spotting
 Pamban,  India
 Size: 44.3mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from shallow water on rocky shore.
Subspecies: Mauritia arabica asiatica  F. A. Schilder & M. Schilder, 1939
 slightly flattened dorsum; flattened, greyish base; fiiner, crowded marginal spotting
 galle,  Sri Lanka
 Size: 32.5mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from under boulders at 2-3m.
 Dwarf specimen34.24
Subspecies: Mauritia arabica immanis  F. A. Schilder & M. Schilder, 1939
 Mostly larger and broader, not humped; larger more confluent marginal spotting; base flat, dark purple
 Toliara,  Madagascar
 Size: 80.92mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from under rock slabs on flat reef at 8-10m by local collectors
Subspecies: Mauritia arabica immanis  F. A. Schilder & M. Schilder, 1939
 Mostly larger and broader, not humped; larger more confluent marginal spotting; base flat, dark purple
 Grande Bay,  Mauritius
 Size: 75.07mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from under black rocks on coral slope at 8-12m.
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