Lyncina vitellus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Deer cowry, 22-82mm

Lyncina vitellus is a common species under rocks on shallow lagoon reefs off Kwajalein, Ennubuj, and Ebwaj Islands. It can also found on interisland reef-like pinnacles such as that at Mar Fill. Small specimens are common on leeward oceanside reefs, but only in heavy coral areas in very shallow water near the intertidal zone. Large specimens are commonly dead-collected on lagoon bottom shipwrecks, where they probably live secreted in crevices and under clumps of Halimeda algae by day. We have seen specimens all the way from about 1-45m depth. This species is widely distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific.

The specimen below was brooding the large egg mass below it.

A nearly adult sized juvenile still lacks the white spotting, which must be in the last layers of shell put down.

55.7mm, 8 January 1997

22.2mm

75.1mm, 1973

Comparison of 75.1 and 22.2mm shells.

Created 1 April 2008
Updated 2 April 2024

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