Zoila friendii
Black cowrie | Cypraea friendii
Same Genus
Distribution
Temperate Australasia
Description
Most common of Zoila species and can be identified by the lack of teeth on the inner margin of the aperture (a few protuberances are present at one end). Extremely variable markings and shape, although most have a light brown basal colour and darker brown spots and blotches. Specimens collected from the Perth region are relatively narrow and dark compared with those collected from SA or deep water. In SA there are now daily bag limits for harvesting to ease collecting pressure on this species.
Information
Max Size: 12 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 12.7-22.6°C
Depth: 1-183m
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: Infrequent (2.1% 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: GJ Edgar. 2008. Australian Marine Life. New Holland, Sydney