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Taxonomy
Family: Subfamily:
CYPRAEIDAE: LURIINAE
Full Classification:
Mollusca (Phylum)
> Gastropoda (Class)
> Caenogastropoda (Subclass)
> Littorinimorpha (Order)
> Cypraeoidea (Superfamily)
> Cypraeidae (Family)
> Luriinae (Subfamily)
> Lyncina (Genus)
> vitellus (Species)
Synonymised Names:
=Cypraea vitellus Linnaeus, 1758
Images: Lyncina vitellus Linnaeus, 1758
Pacific Deer Cowrie, collected by scuba diving off northern NZ. 31mm. © rights reserved
Collected in beach drift, Far North, NZ. 46mm. © rights reserved
Taxonomy
Family: Subfamily:
CYPRAEIDAE: LURIINAE
Full Classification:
Mollusca (Phylum)
> Gastropoda (Class)
> Caenogastropoda (Subclass)
> Littorinimorpha (Order)
> Cypraeoidea (Superfamily)
> Cypraeidae (Family)
> Luriinae (Subfamily)
> Lyncina (Genus)
> vitellus (Species)
Synonymised Names:
=Cypraea vitellus Linnaeus, 1758
Details: Lyncina vitellus Linnaeus, 1758
Size/Grows to:
Length 55mm, Width 35mm
Distribution:
Indo-Pacific, from Red Sea to Hawaiian Islands, Polynesia. Kermadec Islands, and north-eastern North Island as far south as Leigh, from 0-30m
Notes:
Marine, Native - Non-endemic
View Distribution Map
References and Publications
  • Powell, A.W.B. 1979 New Zealand Mollusca: Marine, Land and Freshwater Shells, Collins, Auckland (p.152)
  • Powell, A.W.B. 1976 On the considerable influx of warm water molluscs that have invaded northern New Zealand waters within recent years, Records of the Auckland Institute and Museum, 13 (p.144)
  • Penniket, J.R. Sep/1973 Notes of Interest: Cypraea vitellus, Poirieria, 7(2) (p.30)
  • Grange, K.R. Aug/1973 Cypraea vitellus in New Zealand, Poirieria, 7(1) (p.3)
  • Willan, R.C. Mar/1972 Notes of Interest: Cypraea vitellus, Poirieria, 6(3) (p.58)
  • Schilder, F.A. 1967 Cypraeidae from New Zealand, Records of the Auckland Institute and Museum, 6(3) (p.201)
  • Powell, A.W.B. 1967 New Zealand Molluscan Systematics with Descriptions of New Species: Part 6, Records of the Auckland Institute and Museum, 6(3) (p.185)

NZ Geographical Regions
Key to symbols used in Checklist.
Fw =
Freshwater
L =
Land
N =
North Island
S =
South Island
R =
Recent
Sf =
Subfossil
Fo =
Fossil
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