Volva volva

Shuttlecock Cowrie
Volva volva
Volva volva, Port Stephens, NSW, Photo: Tom Davis
Volva volva
Volva volva, Port Stephens, NSW, Photo: Nicola Davis
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Volva volva
Volva volva

Distribution

Temperate Australasia, Tropical Indo-Pacific


Description

This is a large cowrie that can grow up to 140mm in length. The mantle is a translucent white with patches of dark brown / purple colour, the larger of these patches having a tapering papilla extending out from them.


Information

Max Size: N/A cm

Sea Temperature Range: N/A

Depth: N/A

Habitat Generalization Index: N/A

Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.


Conservation and Rarity

IUCN Status: Not Evaluated

Occurrence: Common (33.3% of sites)

Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed

Abundance: Solitary (1 per transect)

Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.


Edit by: Nicola Davis