Palmadusta lutea, Marshall Islands

Palmadusta lutea (Gmelin, 1791)
Yellow cowry, 9-19mm

Palmadusta lutea is rare in the Marshalls. Most specimens are found on relatively shallow lagoon interisland and pinnacle reefs, although a couple have been seen in the Halimeda algae patches on sandy lagoon flats. Depths of observed living specimens range from about 1-15m, although empty shells have been found deeper. Although usually hidden under rocks during the day, they tend to keep their red mantles extended over the shell at all times. This species was long known here under the name Cypraea humphreysii (a misspelling of "humphreyii"), a separate species from parts of Melanesia and Polynesia. The subspecies known from the Marshall Islands is Palmadusta lutea johnsonorum and it differs from more typical Palmadusta lutea lutea in a more red color and heavier spotting over the shell.