Common Egg Cowrie (species: Ovula ovum) in Lizard Island area: all known taxa (Lizard Island Field Guide)
Ovula ovum
Common Egg Cowrie


©Barbara Banks: Common Egg Cowries about 8 cm long on their soft coral food source at Lizard Island. Faeces can be seen between the animals.

©Lexie Gersbeck and Gabi Howarth: Ovula ovum about 8.5 cm long from the reef flat and crest between Bird and South Islands, Lizard Island Group.

©Lexie Gersbeck and Gabi Howarth: Ovula ovum about 8.5 cm long from the reef flat and crest between Bird and South Islands, Lizard Island Group.
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Mollusca
Class Gastropoda
Order Littorinimorpha
Family Ovulidae
Genus Ovula
Species Ovula ovum

Colours

         

Distinguishing features

Shell is pure white; mantle covers the shell in life, black with white spots that form large irregular patterns. Often found in pairs on soft corals. 

Size

  • Up to 10 cm (length according to Wilson, 1993)

Synonyms

Distribution


©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution

Web resources

References

References that assist with identification

  • Wilson, B. (1993). Australian Marine Shells: 1. Prosobranch gastropods Odyssey Publishing, Kallaroo, Western Australia.