About Naria erosa (Linnaeus, 1758)
Naria erosa is a fairly common species of cowrie. On average, the shell of this species grows 32–38 millimetres (1.3–1.5 inches) long. The maximum recorded shell length is 75 millimetres (3.0 inches), and the minimum length of an adult shell is 15 millimetres (0.59 inches). The upper (dorsal) surface of the shell is yellow-ocher or pale brown, marked with many small white spots. Dark brown spots appear on the ends of the shell. Each side of the shell near the edge has a roughly rectangular dark brown area. The base of the shell ranges from white to light beige, and has thin transverse stripes. At night, living Naria erosa have a brownish, heavily papillose mantle that usually covers the entire shell, camouflaging the animal. This species and its subspecies are found in the Indian Ocean along the coasts of Aldabra, Chagos, the Comores, the East Coast of South Africa, Kenya, Madagascar, the Mascarene Basin, Mauritius, Mozambique, Réunion, the Seychelles, Somalia and Tanzania. They also occur in the Western Pacific Ocean, in Malaysia, Australia, the Philippines, Polynesia and Hawaii. Naria erosa lives in warm tropical waters, on shallow intertidal reefs or in lagoons, at depths of approximately 2–10 metres (6 feet 7 inches to 32 feet 10 inches). Like most other cowries, Naria erosa usually hides under rock slabs during the day, with its mantle drawn back into the shell. It only feeds at dawn or dusk.
