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Cypraea tigris Linnaeus, 1758
| Family Name: | Cyparaeidae |
| Taxonomic Group: | Invertebrates (Mollusc) |
| Common Name: | Tiger Cowrie |
Cypraea tigris, commonly known as the Tiger Cowrie, is a large sea snail found on the ocean floor in the Indo-Pacific region. Once common, it is now much less abundant due to shell collecting and habitat destruction. In Singapore, it is exceedingly rare.
Name
Ecology, Habitat & Location
| Ecological Notes | It is usually found on live coral colonies, particularly table-forming Acropora. |
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| Habitats | Coral Reef, Marine |
| Distribution | Indo-Pacific. |
Conservation
| Trends & Threats | Habitat destruction; collection for marine curio trade. |
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| Scientific Interest & Potential Value | Shell trade; less common colour varieties are more costly. |
| Conservation Notes | Although considered one of the commonest cowries of the Indo-Pacific, and present on Singapore reefs in the past, it is now exceedingly rare. A large specimen was seen on one reef of the southern islands in 1988. Some sites need to be designated as nature areas or marine protected areas, and legislation to protect marine life from over-collecting needs to be instituted. |
Status
| Singapore Red Data Book Status | Endangered (EN) [2008] |
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Photos
References
| References | Davison, G.W.H., Ng, P.K.L. & Ho, H.C (Eds.). 2008. The Singapore Red Data Book (2nd Edition). Singapore: Nature Society (Singapore). 285pp |
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