little bear cowrie
Namelittle bear cowrie
Scientific NamePustularia cicercula
Common Namelittle bear cowrie
FamilyCypraeidae
GenusPustularia
Speciescicercula
Geographic DistributionIndo-Pacific region, including areas from East Africa to the central Pacific, and north to Japan.
Habitatsubtidal
Average Size (mm)15-30 mm
Identifying FeaturesSmall size, humped and ovate shell with a dorsal ridge and pustules. The most distinctive feature of the living animal is its highly papillose, often translucent white or cream mantle with branched, dendritic papillae that extend over the shell. The tentacles are typically yellow.
Raritycommon
Author CitationLinnaeus, 1758
Description
The little bear cowrie is a small to medium-sized marine gastropod, characterized by its ovate, humped shell. The living animal, as seen in the image, extends a highly papillose mantle over its shell, often obscuring the shell's pattern. The mantle is typically translucent white or cream with numerous branched, dendritic papillae that help it camouflage with its environment. It possesses two prominent, often yellow, tentacles.
