Shells of South
East Queensland

Tweed Heads to Noosa
Cypraeidae

Erronea caurica

(Linnaeus, 1758)
Shell: moderately small to medium, solid, elliptical to sub-cylindrical, ranging from 24-54 mm. Teeth: 16 to 18 columellar teeth; 15 to 20 labral teeth. Sculpture: smooth, porcelaneous, margins may have a developed callous. Aperture elongate, wider towards the anterior; outer lip thickend. Exterior colour pale blue/ green with three transverse diffuse brown bands; dorsum dusted with tan speckles; base cream; margins darker with prominent brown spots; interstice between teeth orange. Interior colour purple.


Specimens

Myora light,  Australia
 Size: 40mm    Collected: 2004
Under dead coral slabs in 0.5m of water.
Amity Point,  Australia
 Size: 51.2mm    Collected: 1999
On rock wall in 2m of water. Taken on scuba.
Hutchinson,  Australia
 Size: mm    Collected: 2016
dead in sand at about 13m
The Wrecks to Myora Light,  Australia
 Size: mm    Collected: 1989
found under slabs of coral with sand, mud and coral rubble bottom 0.4m tide

Fraser Is,  Australia
 Size: 51mm    Collected: Unknown
No data.
Shoal Point,  Australia
 Size: 36mm    Collected: 1997
No data.
Wilson Island,  Australia
 Size: 35mm    Collected: 2000
Under coral slab at low tide on intertidal reef.
North Reef,  Australia
 Size: 36mm    Collected: 1991
No data.
forma: longior  (Iredale, 1935)
 This form from Queensland. Cylindrical; teeth coarse and long; aperture straight; dorsal banding clearly visible and blotch absent; marginal spots reduced and diffuse; base tending towards grey.
 Lamont Reef,  Australia
 Size: 36mm    Collected: 2019
Under rocks and coral slabs on intertidal reef. Located on weather edge of the reef. Some of the specimens are exhibiting signs of becoming melanistic.
Sykes Reef,  Australia
 Size: 40mm    Collected: 2019
Under rock and coral slab on weather edge of intertidal reef. Reasonably common in the area.
forma: longior  (Iredale, 1935)
 This form from Queensland. Cylindrical; teeth coarse and long; aperture straight; dorsal banding clearly visible and blotch absent; marginal spots reduced and diffuse; base tending towards grey.
 Perfect Lagoon 21-186,  Australia
 Size: mm    Collected: Unknown
on reef in 2m of water
Subspecies: Erronea caurica blaesa  Iredale, 1939
 Western Australia. Margins less calloused; Columellar teeth short and coarse; dental interstices yellow to pale orange; base greyish; margin spots small and well spaced.
 Broome,  Australia
 Size: 46mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from under large coral slabs on reef at low tide
forma: obscurata  
 forma obscurata, heavy marginal callus 
 Honiara,  Solomon Islands
 Size: 54.32mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from limestone rubble near wrecks at 8-10m at night
Taurama Beach,  Papua New Guinea
 Size: mm    Collected: 1984
found on coral in a crevise under a rock in about 1.5m of water about 3m from shore
Subspecies: Erronea caurica samoensis  Lorenz, 2002
 Samoa, Fiji, Tonga. Calloused with expanded, irregular margins; less numerous teeth extending across the base; base and margins pale orange brown with large, sparse marginal spots; dorsal pattern course and dense; blotch indistinct and diffuse.
 Malolo Island,  Fiji
 Size: 34.49mm    Collected: Unknown
No data
Palau Rozengain ,  Malaysia
 Size: 24.75mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from coral wall at 8-25m at night by diver.
Berleyer Islands,  Malaysia
 Size: 33.18mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from amongst rubble, live and dead coral patches at 5 to 30m.
Bohol,  Philippines
 Size: 41.19mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from amongst rubble on slopes under slabs at 3-5m by local divers
forma: coprosa  
Sri Lanka,  Sri Lanka
 Size: 50.43mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from shallow reefs at 1-2m by local collectors
Subspecies: Erronea caurica dracaena  (Born, 1778)
 Oman to India. Cylindrical to oval; calloused; base flat; aperture narrower; Columellar teeth fine, extending slightly onto the base; dorsal blotch distinct; dorsal patter coarse and dense; tips stained darker.
 Pamban,  India
 Size: 29.21mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from shallow water on rocky shore.
Subspecies: Erronea caurica mayottensis  Vachon & Verneau, 2017
Praslin,  Seychelles
 Size: 33.91mm    Collected: Unknown
No data.

Subspecies: Erronea caurica quinquefasciata  (Röding, 1798)
 Red Sea, Oman. Broad, solid; spire partially concealed by callous with darker blotch; margins sloping with large, sparse spots.
 Mogadishu,  Somalia
 Size: 28.35mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from hard reef at 1-2m by local collectors.
Subspecies: Erronea caurica elongata  (Perry, 1811)
 East Africa. Elongate to pyriform; aperture anteriorly widening; labrum narrow with labral teeth shorter; marginal spotting large and confluent; dorsal banding more distinct; base calluses purplish grey.
 Wasin,  Kenya
 Size: 37.37mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from exposed intertidal reef at low tide.
forma: marshallensis  
 Elongate Marshall Islands. Rhomboidal; extremities and margins produced. Disstiinct dorsal bandings; marginal spots pale, small and sparse; dental interstice orange.
 Kwajalein Atol,  Kwajalein Atol
 Size: 45.2mm    Collected: Unknown
No data.

© South East Queenlsand Shells 2021.