Lurid Cowry

Mollusc

Identification & Biology

• IdentificationA smooth, glossy sea snail with a distinctive oval shell. The dorsal surface is pale pinkish-brown with three darker brown bands. The underside has a long, narrow opening lined with fine teeth on both sides. The living animal extends a dark, spotted mantle over the shell.
• SizeShell length up to 6 cm. The largest cowry species in the Mediterranean.
• Social HabitSolitary and nocturnal. Hides under rocks and in crevices during the day, emerging at night to feed.
• HabitatRocky reefs, caves, and boulder fields. Prefers shaded areas with sponge growth.
• Depth3 to 60 m. Most common between 10 and 35 m.
• Feeds OnSponges and colonial tunicates (sea squirts). Feeds by grazing tissue from the surface of its prey.
• DistributionMediterranean Sea and adjacent eastern Atlantic from Portugal to the Azores. Present in Maltese waters.
• DescriptionLuria lurida is the only cowry species found in the Mediterranean and its polished, elegant shell has been admired since antiquity. The living animal looks very different from the shell alone, as it extends a dark, spotted mantle tissue that completely covers the shell surface, keeping it smooth and glossy. Night dives offer the best chance of seeing the animal active and feeding.