About Nucleolaria nucleus (Linnaeus, 1758)
This species, Nucleolaria nucleus (Linnaeus, 1758), produces quite rare shells. On average, these shells measure 16–20 millimetres (0.63–0.79 in) in length, with a maximum recorded size of 30 millimetres (1.2 in) and a minimum recorded size of 10 millimetres (0.39 in). The shells have an overall oval shape. The dorsum surface of the shell is light orange-brown, marked by a thin longitudinal line running through the middle, many small round protuberances, and two orange-colored areas at the shell extremities. The base of the shell is light orange, and small teeth extend across both sides of the entire base. In living cowries of this species, the mantle is brownish and has well-developed papillae. Nucleolaria nucleus is distributed in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, found along Aldabra, Chagos, Kenya, Madagascar, the Mascarene Basin, Mauritius, Réunion, the Seychelles, Somalia and Tanzania. It also occurs in the Western Central Pacific Ocean, in areas including the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, Guam, Hawaii and Vanuatu.
