Mauritia depressa (Gray, 1824)
Depressed cowry, 29-50mm

Mauritia depressa is strictly a shallow water species that prefers areas with considerable water movement, usually at depths from the intertidal to less than 3m. It lives on windward seaward reef flats that get washed by waves with every incoming tide. At Kwajalein, it is most common in several reef quarries that were created by blasting and dredging to produce aggregate for construction materials. The shell’s morphology is wide and flat at the base with a low rounded dorsum. This “depressed” shape probably makes the animal more able to withstand wave action in its typical habitat. It is similar to and often confused with smaller specimens of Mauritia maculifera. The latter species, however, always has a dark blotch on the columellar side of the shell's base; in M. depressa, the base is white with the exception of the brown teeth around the aperture (which are also present in M. maculifera). The flatter, wider, more depressed shape also distinguishes the two species, but that is a relative feature usable only if you have a series of specimens to examine. This species is widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific with the notable exception of Australia. The subspecies in the Marshalls is Mauritia depressa depressa.

30.7mm, 12 December 2016

Created 1 April 2008
Updated 24 February 2020

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