Clanculus puniceus

Common name: Strawberry top

Class: Gastropoda Subclass: Vetigastropoda Superfamily: Trochoidea
Family: Trochidae Subfamily: Trochinae Genus: Clanculus

Author: Philippi, 1846

Clanculus puniceus is a small and attractive seashell, also known as strawberry top because reminds a strawberry in color and texture. It is herbivore mollusk and its size range from 13 to 22 mm. It is a common species between Tanzania and South Africa, normally found in shallow waters under rocks. Clanculus puniceus is among the relatively few gastropod shells that fluoresce or glow under ultraviolet light, as a result of pigments incorporated in the shell.

Lyncina aurantium

Common name: Golden cowrie

Class: Gastropoda Subclass: Caenogastropoda Order: Littorinimorpha Superfamily: Cypraeoidea Family: Cypraeidae Genus: Lyncina

Author: Gmelin 1791

       

Lyncina aurantium has a heavy, large and orange shell. The orange dorsum is smooth and glossy, and small growth lines are common. The base, margins, and extremities are white to gray, and the lips are stained in orange near the aperture. Like most cypraeas this gastropoda is a nocturnal species, hiding in crevices and caves in coral reefs during the day. The size of this shell range from 58 to 117 mm. Has a distribution in Southwest and central Pacific, where is found between the 10 and 40m depth. The Lyncina aurantium feeds on algae and is an uncommon seashell.

There is a reason why all cowries are so shiny, this is because when the animal is active, the shell is fully covered by the living tissue, called mantle, which you can see in the following picture. The mantle is generally very complex and may thus not only protect but also conceal the shell when the animal is foraging out in the open at night.

Latiaxis mawae

Common name: Mawe’s Latiaxis 

Class: Gastropoda Subclass: Caenogastropoda Order: Neogastropoda Superfamily: Muricoidea Family: Muricidae Subfamily: Coralliophilidae Genus: Latiaxis

Author: Griffith & Pidgeon, 1834

Latiaxis mawaea  is a distinctive shell with a flattened apex and a body whorl that uncoils and is a parasitic shell on hard corals. The shell color is commonly white to cream, but may be pink, orange or purple with a white aperture. The size of the Latiaxis mawaea range from 19 to 70 mm. Has a distribution from Japan to Northeastern Australia, where is locally common in deep waters (50 to 200m depth) on sandy mud bottoms and coral reefs.