Cowries

Cowries are a huge family of mollusks whose shells are among the most popular for collectors. The shells were once used as money by many countries of Southeast Asia.

Gnawed Cowrie

Scientific name: Cypraea erosa

Most cowrie references show just the shell as collected from the shore, rather than the live animal, so it's hard to be sure of any identifications.

Please note: Identification of fish, corals, etc. is a tricky business. It's entirely possible that I've incorrectly identified a photo I've taken. If you spot an error, please contact me so I can correct it and improve this resource.