Shells of South
East Queensland

Tweed Heads to Noosa
Cypraeidae

Ovatipsa chinensis

(Gmelin, 1791)
Shell: moderately small to medium, solid, Ovate to elongovate, ranging from 26-46 mm. Spire obscured. Teeth: 15 to 17 columellar teeth; 13 to 16 labral teeth. Sculpture: smooth, porcelaneous. Exterior colour blue grey overlaid with diffuse tan blotches; base fawn; teeth stained with orange; margins high, fawn with diffuse mauve spots; Mantle line distinct.


Specimens

Subspecies: Ovatipsa chinensis amiges  (Melvill & Standen, 1915)
Shag Rock,  Australia
 Size: mm    Collected: 1999
found under a small flat rock in 10 meters of water next to a wobbegong shark, specimen is fully grown, but small and perfect and has different shape to other C. chinensis
forma: whitworthi  Cate, 1964
 This form from Western Australian is more inflated and calloused.
 Shark Bay,  Australia
 Size: 38.45mm    Collected: Unknown
Under dead coral slabs and in red sponges. Collected by diver.
forma: sydneyensis  Schilder & Schilder, 1938
 This form is larger, more elongate with swollen labral teeth.
 Bass Point,  Australia
 Size: 36.68mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected on rocky reef at low tide.
Direction Island,  Australia
 Size: 32.25mm    Collected: Unknown
Under coral slab on hard bottom in reef channel at 32-5m depth.
Marau Sound,  Solomon Islands
 Size: 40.18mm    Collected: Unknown
On wall of cave at night from 15-20m depth. Collected by diver.
Local Island reef,  Papua New Guinea
 Size: mm    Collected: 1984
found on coral reef under a rock in 1m of water animal was brilliant red with a fillimentatious mantel
Bali,  Indonesia
 Size: 39mm    Collected: Unknown
No data.
Kangean Island,  Indonesia
 Size: 24.68mm    Collected: Unknown
No data.

Cebu,  Philippines
 Size: 36.16mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected by diver.
Subspecies: Ovatipsa chinensis somaliana  (Lorenz, 1989)
Dahlak,  Eritrea
 Size: 30.76mm    Collected: 1985
No data
Subspecies: Ovatipsa chinensis somaliana  (Lorenz, 1989)
Tanzania [unspecified],  Tanzania
 Size: mm    Collected: 1985
juvenile swapped
Kona Coast,  United States of America
 Size: 26.14mm    Collected: Unknown
Under dead coral slabs on rubble slope at 5-8m depth.
Mozambique Island,  Mozambique
 Size: 46mm    Collected: Unknown
No data.
Subspecies: Ovatipsa chinensis violacea  (Rous, 1905)
Chumbe Island,  Tanzania
 Size: 28.37mm    Collected: Unknown
On exposed reef at low tide.
Madagascar,  Madagascar
 Size: 36mm    Collected: Unknown
No data.
Antsiranana,  Madagascar
 Size: 33.08mm    Collected: 1966
No data
Papeete,  French Polynesia
 Size: 35.92mm    Collected: Unknown
Under hard coral blocks on shallow reef in heavy surf at 1-2m depth.
 Rare from this location.
Amity Point,  Australia
 Size: mm    Collected: 2017
forma: amiges Collected by diver. Courtesy D Preston.
Fingle Head,  Australia
 Size: mm    Collected:
forma: amiges Collected by diver. Courtesy D Preston.
© South East Queensland Shells 2022.