Tiger
cowrie
Cypraea tigris
Family Cypraeidae
updated
Jul 2020
Where seen? This
stunning snail is rare and thus a delight to encounter. It is sometimes
seen on our undisturbed Northern shores, near living reefs. It is
said to be usually found on live coral colonies, particularly table-forming Acropora
corals. Other accounts suggest it is also
found in seagrass meadows, and sand and rubble.
Features: 8-9cm, can reach 15cm. Shell is oval to pear-shaped,
variable in colour from white to nearly black but usually white, yellowish
to light blue greyish with dense rounded spots of dark brown to black.
The underside is white including the 'teeth'. The mantle may be golden
yellow with dark bands and spots that somewhat resembles a tiger's
stripes, also described as a 'finger-print' pattern.
Sometimes mistaken for a sea
slug. When the shell is completely covered in its mantle, it is
sometimes mistaken for a sea slug. Here's more on how
to tell apart slugs and animals that look like slugs. |
Terumbu Raya,
May 10
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his
blog. |
Terumbu Semakau,
Nov 12 |
Pulau Biola,
May 10
Photo shared by Neo Mei Lin on her
flickr. |
Human uses: It is collected for
food and the shell for the shell trade, where it is one of the favourites
of shell collectors. Sadly, they are often over-collected, using destructive
methods such as dynamite fishing. As a result, even elsewhere, it
may be nearly extinct locally or confined to depths over 10 m.
Status and threats: It is listed
as 'Endangered' in the Red List of threatened animals of Singapore,
which adds that although it is considered one of the most common coweries
in the Indo-Pacific, and were found on Singapore's reefs in the past,
it is now 'exceedingly rare'. The Red List goes on the suggest that
sites need to be protected and over-collecting prevented. |
| Tiger
cowries on Singapore shores |
| Other sightings on Singapore shores |
Sentosa, Dec 18
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook. |
Sentosa Tg Rimau, Aug 20
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook. |
Sentosa Tg Rimau, May 24
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook. |
Pulau Tekukor,
Jun 16
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook. |
|
|
Pulau Semakau,
Aug 13
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on flickr. |
Pulau Semakau (South),
Jan 20
Photo shared by Leon Tan on facebook. |
Pulau Semakau (East),
Dec 20
Photo shared by Jianlin Liu on facebook. |
Terumbu Semakau,
Jun 12
Photo shared by Russel Low on facebook. |
Beting Bemban Besar, 20
Photo shared by Jesselyn Chua on facebook. |
|
|
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.
- 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.
- Abbott,
R. Tucker, 1991. Seashells
of South East Asia.
Graham Brash, Singapore. 145 pp.
- Davison,
G.W. H. and P. K. L. Ng and Ho Hua Chew, 2008. The Singapore
Red Data Book: Threatened plants and animals of Singapore.
Nature Society (Singapore). 285 pp.
- Kuiter,
Rudie H and Helmut Debelius. 2009. World
Atlas of Marine Fauna. IKAN-Unterwasserachiv. 723pp.
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