Mauritia scurra (Gmelin, 1791)
Jester
cowry, 26-51mm
The color pattern of Mauritia
scurra resembles that of
M. maculifera and M.
depressa, but it can be immediately distinguished from those two species
by its cylindrical shape. This species is found primarily on the tops of lagoon
pinnacles under rocks or in rubble, or in seaward reef surge channel ledges
at night. Specimens from lagoon pinnacles average much larger than those from
the seaward reef. A few individuals have also been observed on the windward
side of lagoon reefs, such as that between Ennubuj and South Pass, as well as
under large boulders on the windward seaward reef subtidal reef flat. This species
ranges across the Indo-Pacific, and the subspecies found in the Marshalls is
Mauritia scurra scurra.
The shell below was tending the
egg mass visible behind it on the left side.
43.1mm, March 1973
27.4mm, 15 February 1991
45.15mm, 1 April 1996
Comparison of 45.15 and 27.4mm
shells.
Created
1 April 2008
Updated 2 April 2024
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