Erosaria cernica (Sowerby, 1870)
Cernica cowry, 24-30mm

This species is known from the Marshalls only from a dozen or fewer empty or broken shells found deep on the seaward reef slope and one relatively fresh specimen found on a lagoon pinnacle near a deep-water pass in the reef (the specimen in the thumbnail photograph). Since no living ones have yet been seen, presumably the habitat is generally in deeper water along the dropoff. Although rare everywhere, this species is widely distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific, extending even to Easter Island and around the tip of South Africa slightly into the Atlantic. The photo below shows one of the freshest empty shells we have seen here.

No live animal photo currently available

Created 22 September 2008
Updated 29 July 2010

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