About Mauritia maculifera F.A.Schilder, 1932
Mauritia maculifera is a species of cowry. The shells of these cowries grow to an average length of 44–54 millimetres (1.7–2.1 in), with a minimum recorded length of 30 millimetres (1.2 in) and a maximum recorded length of 89 millimetres (3.5 in). The smooth, shiny dorsum surface of the shell is usually dark brown, with distinct large bluish dots. Large brown spots appear along the shell edges. The shell base is white, pale brown, or pale pinkish. The aperture is long and narrow, and has several dark brown teeth. This species can be identified by its characteristic brown columellar spot. In living individuals of this species, the mantle is transparent, has blue sensory papillae, and can cover the entire shell. This fairly common species is found in the Indian Ocean along Chagos and the Seychelles, and in the Pacific Ocean from South-East Asia, the Philippines, Fiji, and Micronesia, through western Polynesia to Hawaii. It lives in tropical shallow water, in the subtidal and low intertidal zones, usually under rocks or on coral reefs, starting at a minimum depth of about 4 metres (13 ft). Because these cowries avoid light, they begin feeding at dusk, feeding mainly on sponges or coral polyps.
