180 American Seashells 



family CYPRAEIDAE 



Genus Cypraea Linne 1758 



Subgenus Trona Jousseaume 1884 



Cypraea zebra Linne Measled Cowrie 



Plate 6d 



Southeast Florida and the West Indies. 



2 to 3/4 inches in length, oblong, light-faun to light-brown, with large, 

 round, white dots over the back. Toward the base of the shell these white 

 dots have a brown center. The shell is darker brown, narrower and less 

 inflated than cervus. Moderately common in intertidal waters. Formerly 

 called C. exanthema Linne. A light orangish form, probably due to being 

 buried in sand for some time, was described from Cuba (form vallei Jaume 

 and Borro 1946). 



Cypraea cervus Linne Atlantic Deer Cowrie 



Plate 6i 

 Southern half of Florida and Cuba. 



3 to 5 inches in length, similar to zebra, but usually with smaller and 

 more numerous white spots, with a more inflated and larger shell, and never 

 has ocellated spots on the base of the shell. Moderately common from low 

 tide to several fathoms. 



Subgenus Liiria Jousseaume 1884 

 Cypraea cinerea Gmelin Atlantic Gray Cowrie 



Plate 6c 



Southeast Florida and the West Indies. 



% to I /4 inches in length, rotund, with its back brownish mauve to light 

 orange-brown which may be flecked with tiny, black-brown specks. Base 

 cream to old ivory with light mauve-brown between some of the teeth, or 

 sometimes with tiny flyspecks of brown. A moderately common species 

 found under rocks on reefs. 



Subgenus Eros aria Troschel 1863 

 Cypraea spurca aciciilaris Gmelin Atlantic Yellow Cowrie 



Plate 6a 



South half of Florida, Yucatan and the West Indies. 



% to 1/4 inches in length; back irregularly flecked and spotted with 

 orange-brown and whitish. Base and teeth ivory-white. Lateral extremities 

 often with small pie-crust indentations. Distinguished from cinerea in being 

 flatter and without color on the base. A moderately common species found 

 under rocks at low tide. True spurca L. is from the Mediterranean. 



