Miliaris
cowrie
Erosaria miliaris
Family Cypraeidae
updated
Jul 2020
Where
seen? This
cowrie with a pretty beige spotted shell is commonly seen on our Northern
shores, under and on rocks among sponges, sea fans. Also on sandy and silty areas among seagrass.
It was previously known as Cypraea miliaris.
Features: 2.5-4cm, up to 5cm. Shell is pear-shaped, beige
to light brown with white spots all over it and a broad white margin
around the base. Underside completely white (no markings) and the 'teeth' are not coloured.
The living animal has a 'hairy' dark
brown mottled mantle.
Sometimes mistaken for a sea
slug. When the shell is completely covered in its mantle, it is
sometimes mistaken for a hairy sea slug. Here's how
to tell apart hairy slugs and snails more on how
to tell apart slugs and animals that look like slugs. |

Pulau Sekudu, Jul 04 |

Tanah Merah, Aug 09 |

'Teeth' are not coloured.. |
In a pair: This cowrie is often found as a pair of male and female. If you find one,
the other is usually not far away! A mother
cowrie stays over her
eggs after she lays them, covering the egg mass with her foot. |
Miliaris cowries are often seen in a pair.
Pulau Sekudu, Jun 06 |

Mama cowrie guarding her eggs.
Chek Jawa, Feb 05
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Miliaris
cowries on Singapore shores |
Other sightings on Singapore shores |

Pasir Ris-Loyang, Oct 20
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook. |
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Pulau Ubin, Jul 17
Photo shared by Abel Yeo on facebook. |

Pulau Ubin Jetty, Jun 25
Photo shared by James Dvc on facebook. |

Beting Bronok, Jun 10
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on flickr. |

Changi East (Lost Coast), Jul 24
Photo shared by Tommy Tan on facebook. |

East Coast Park Big Splash, Jun 15
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook. |
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Sentosa Serapong, May 12
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on flickr. |

Kusu Island, Jun 08
Photo shared by Tan Sijie on his
blog. |

Lazarus Island, Jan 24
Photo shared by Vincent Choo on facebook. |

Big Sisters Island, Sep 20
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook. |

Pulau Hantu, May 22
Photo shared by Vincent Choo on facebook. |

Beting Bemban Besar, May 24
Photo shared by Che Cheng Neo on facebook. |

Terumbu Semakau, May 13 |

Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on flickr. |
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Links
References
- Tan Siong
Kiat and Henrietta P. M. Woo, 2010 Preliminary
Checklist of The Molluscs of Singapore (pdf), Raffles
Museum of Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore.
- Abbott, R.
Tucker, 1991. Seashells
of South East Asia.
Graham Brash, Singapore. 145 pp.
- Gosliner,
Terrence M., David W. Behrens and Gary C. Williams. 1996. Coral
Reef Animals of the Indo-Pacific: Animal life from Africa to Hawaii
exclusive of the vertebrates
Sea Challengers. 314pp.
- Kuiter, Rudie
H and Helmut Debelius. 2009. World
Atlas of Marine Fauna. IKAN-Unterwasserachiv. 723pp.
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