Monetaria annulus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Gold-ringer
cowry, 12-27mm
The gold ringer is almost strictly
an intertidal reef dweller. When you see it, it tends to be very common. But
the distribution is patchy; many parts of the reef seem to lack the species
altogether. At Kwajalein, the oceanside reef flat behind the Kwaj Lodge and
near the airport terminal supports a good population. They can also be found
commonly to depths of about 2m in some of the reef quarries, particularly the
older ones along the airfield. Under rocks on the oceanside reef of Roi-Namur
is another place to see large numbers. The species appears to be less common
in the northern atolls of the Marshall Islands. At Enewetak, they were quite
uncommon. Individuals may be exposed in hollows and small tide pools on the
reef, or they may live under chunks of dead coral and in crevices. The gold
ringer is always smoothly rounded over the dorsal surface. Many specimens of
the money cowry, Monetaria
moneta, also sport gold rings on their shells, but these cowries are
usually more irregular in shape. See the discussion of Monetaria moneta.
The name annulus refers to the gold ring on the dorsum. Monetaria
annulus is found throughout the Indo-Pacific except for most of eastern
Polynesia and the Hawaiian Islands. The Marshall Islands subspecies is Monetaria
annulus annulus.
25.4mm, 1972
Created
1 April 2008
Updated 23 February 2020
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