Cribrarula gaspardi (Biraghi & Nicolay, 1993)
Pale sieve cowry, 10-20mm

Cribrarula gaspardi is a smaller, paler version of Cribrarula cribraria. Differences from that species are noted on the C. cribraria page. Cribrarula gaspardi is typically small with pale orange to orange-brown shell coloration and a translucent orange mantle. The species is typically not found with C. cribraria, preferring to live on seaward reef and lagoon pinnacle ledges and caves, where it is active at night and where C. cribraria is generally not found. Like some of the other red-mantled cowries, C. cribraria will often lose (autotomize) the rear portion of its foot when disturbed. So far Cribraria gaspardi seems to be restricted to the vicinity of the Marshall Islands.

The ID on the specimen below is not certain. It was small and living in the typical C. gaspardi habitat, but its mantle was darker red, more like C. cribraria. It is difficult to tell the difference between C. gaspardi and C. cribraria in some specimens. We suspect that many of the C. gaspardi in collections are actually C. cribraria.

Updated 1 April 2008

Back to cowry thumbnails or cowry list

Kwajalein Underwater Home