Naria cernica (Sowerby, 1870)
Cernica
cowry, 24-30mm
This species is known from the
Marshalls only from a dozen or fewer empty or broken shells found deep on the
seaward reef slope and one relatively fresh specimen found on a lagoon pinnacle
near a deep-water pass in the reef (the specimen in the photograph below). Since
no living ones have yet been seen, presumably the habitat is generally in deeper
water along the dropoff.
Although rare everywhere, this species is widely distributed throughout the
Indo-Pacific, extending even to Easter Island and around the tip of South Africa
slightly into the Atlantic. The subspecies in the Marshalls is Naria cernica
cernica. The photos below show an empty 24.7mm shell found on 1 April 1996.
No live animal photo currently available
Created
22 September 2008
Updated 23 May 2022
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