Summary

​​Lyncina vitellus (Milk-Spot Cowrie) is a marine gastropod within the Cypraeidae family. It is recognisable by the dorsal surface of their shell, which is brown in colour with white spots (SURG, 2013). When active, this shell may be encased by a mantle which plays an important role in maintaining the quality of the shell, whilst also being the site of oxygen exchange. It is the shell and mantle colour, as well as its associated papillae that makes L. vitellus so unique amongst the cowries.

This species is widely distributed across the tropical Indo-Pacific, measuring up to 9cm in size. Like other gastropods, they act as an important food source to other species. Cowries also provided human relevance due to their monetary use in the African and Arabian world until modern time (Nordsieck, 2014). However, very little is known about the life histories of L. vitellus, and is largely unsupported by the Australian literature. Observations made throughout this web page aim to gain an insight into this unique creature.