Common Egg Cowrie is a gastropod (sea snail) regularly spotted on Zanzibar's coral reef. This individual has been spotted in shallow water at a depth of 7 meters. Size in length was approximately 10 cm. They are usually seen by pair on the locally abundant soft coral Sarcophyton, which they feed on. Its bright white ovate shell is made of calcium carbonate, covered by a black, orange spotted mantle. This species is distributed in the Red Sea and in the Indian Ocean along East Africa and in Western and Central Pacific Ocean. Cowrie are mostly gonochoric and broadcast spawners.
Class: Gastropoda,
Family: Ovulidae
Genus: Ovula
Species: my best guess is Ovula ovum

Main navigation

• Observations
• Projects
• Species browser
• Species dictionary
• News stories
• Articles