Measled Cowrie
NameMeasled Cowrie
Scientific NameMacrocypraea zebra
Common NameMeasled Cowrie, Atlantic Measled Cowrie
FamilyCypraeidae
GenusMacrocypraea
Specieszebra
Geographic DistributionWestern Atlantic Ocean, including the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Florida, Bermuda, and Brazil.
Habitatsubtidal
Average Size (mm)Typically ranges from 50 to 100 mm, but can grow up to 150 mm in length.
Identifying FeaturesLarge size for a cowrie, distinctive 'measles' pattern of dark spots on a lighter background, elongated ovate shape, smooth and glossy surface, and a toothed aperture.
Raritycommon
Author Citation(Linnaeus, 1758)
Description
The Measled Cowrie (Macrocypraea zebra) is a large, distinctive species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae. Its shell is highly polished, ovate, and typically covered in dark, irregular spots resembling measles. *Note: The provided image does not depict a Measled Cowrie. The shell in the image is a small, spiraled gastropod with a visible spire and sutures, characteristic of a land snail or a small marine snail, not the smooth, ovate, and spireless shell of a cowrie.*
