Information about Cowries

Cowry
Cypraea caputserpentis L., 1758; very common in intertidal rocky areas of the Indo-Pacific ocean. Cypraea caputserpentis L., 1758; very common in intertidal rocky areas of the Indo-Pacific ocean.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Mollusca Class: Gastropoda Subclass: Orthogastropoda Infraclass: Apogastropoda Superorder: Caenogastropoda Order: Sorbeoconcha Suborder: Hypsogastropoda Infraorder: Littorinimorpha Superfamily: Cypraeoidea Family: Cypraeidae Genus: Cypraea
Species
See text.

Cowry shells (also spelled cowrie), are marine snails of the genus Cypraea (family Cypraeidae), found chiefly in tropical regions. The shell itself is almost always smooth (a few species have granular shells) and more or less egg-shaped, with a long, narrow, slit-like opening (aperture). All varieties have a porcelain-like shine (except Hawaii's granulated cowry) and many have colorful patterns. Lengths range from 5 mm (1/5") for some species up to 15 cm (6") for the tiger cowry, Cypraea tigris.

Cowries (esp. Cypraea moneta) were used as a currency in Africa (Ghanaian cedi in Ghana named after cowry shells) and elsewhere, such as in China where the shell or copies of the shell were in theory used as a means of exchange. They are also worn as jewelry or otherwise used as ornaments or charms, as they are viewed as symbols of womanhood, fertility, birth and wealth. Many find the shiny, porcelain-like shells pleasing to look at.

Cowry shells are sometimes used in a way similar to dice, e.g., in board games like Pachisi, or in divination (cf. Ifá and the annual customs of Dahomey). A number of shells (6 or 7 in Pachisi) are thrown, with those landing aperture upwards indicating the actual number rolled.

Cowries have also been used in the recent past as a frame over which sock heels were stretched for darning. The cowry's smooth surface allows the needle to be positioned under the cloth more easily.

The Ojibway aboriginal people in North America used the cowry shells (which they called sacred Megis Shells or whiteshells) in Midewiwin ceremonies, and the Whiteshell Provincial Park in Manitoba, Canada is named after this type of shell. There is some debate about how they traded for or found these shells so far inland, away from the natural sources. Oral stories and birch bark scrolls seem to indicate that they were found in the ground, and/or washed up on the shores of lakes or rivers. The cowry shells so far inland may indicate the use of them by an earlier tribe or group in the area, and an extensive trade network in the ancient past. Petroforms in the Whiteshell Provincial Park may be as old as 8,000 years, and there are questions about how long the shells were used in that area as well.

Species

Cypraea achatidea Sowerby, 1837 Cypraea acicularis Gmelin, 1791 Cypraea aenigma Lorenz, 2002 Cypraea albuginosa Gray, 1825 Cypraea alexhuberti Lorenz & Huber, 1999 Cypraea alfredensis Schilder & Schilder, 1929 Cypraea algoensis Gray, 1825 Cypraea amphitales Melvill, 1888 Cypraea androyensis Blocher & Lorenz, 1999 Cypraea angelicae Clover, 1974 Cypraea angioyorum Biraghi, 1978 Cypraea angustata Gmelin, 1791 Cypraea annettae Dall, 1909 Cypraea annulus Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea arabica Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea arabicula Lamarck, 1811 Cypraea argus Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea armeniaca Verco, 1912 Cypraea artuffeli Jousseaume, 1876 Cypraea asellus Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea aurantium Gmelin, 1791 Cypraea barbieri Raybaudi, 1986 Cypraea barclayi Reeve, 1857 Cypraea beckii Gaskoin, 1836 Cypraea bernardi Richard, 1974 Cypraea bistrinotata Schilder & Schilder, 1937 Cypraea boivinii Kiener, 1843 Cypraea boucheti Lorenz, 2002 Cypraea bregeriana Crosse, 1868 Cypraea brevidentata Sowerby, 1870 Cypraea broderipii Sowerby, 1832 Cypraea camelopardalis Perry, 1811 Cypraea capensis Gray, 1828 Cypraea capricornica Lorenz, 1989 Cypraea caputdraconis Melvill, 1888 Cypraea caputserpentis Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea carneola Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea castanea Higgins, 1868 Cypraea catholicorum Schilder, 1938 Cypraea caurica Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea cervica Sowerby II, 1870 Cypraea cervinetta Kiener, 1843 Cypraea cervus Linnaeus, 1771 Cypraea chiapponii Lorenz, 1999 Cypraea childreni Gray, 1825 Cypraea chinensis Gmelin, 1791 Cypraea cicercula Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea cinerea Gmelin, 1791 Cypraea citrina Gray, 1825 Cypraea clandestina Linnaeus, 1767 Cypraea cohenae Burgess, 1965 Cypraea colligata Lorenz, 2002 Cypraea coloba Melvill, 1888 Cypraea comptonii Gray, 1847 Cypraea connelli Liltved, 1983 Cypraea contaminata Sowerby, 1832 Cypraea controversa Gray, 1824 Cypraea coronata Schilder 1930 Cypraea coxeni Cox, 1873 Cypraea cribraria Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea cruickshanki Kilburn, 1972 Cypraea cumingii Sowerby, 1832 Cypraea cylindrica Born, 1778 Cypraea dayritiana Cate, 1963 Cypraea decipiens Smith, 1880 Cypraea declivis Sowerby II, 1870 Cypraea deforgesi Lorenz, 2002 Cypraea depressa Gray 1824 Cypraea diauges Melvill 1888 Cypraea dillwyni Schilder 1922 Cypraea diluculum Reeve, 1845 Cypraea eburnea Barnes, 1824

Cypraea edentula Gray, 1825 Cypraea eglantina Duclos, 1833 Cypraea eludens Raybaudi, 1991 Cypraea englerti Summers & Burgess, 1965 Cypraea erosa Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea errones Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea erythraeensis Hedley, 1837 Cypraea esontropia Duclos, 1833 Cypraea exmouthensis Melvill, 1888 Cypraea exusta Sowerby I, 1832 Cypraea fallax Smith, 1881 Cypraea felina Gmelin, 1791 Cypraea fernadoi Cate, 1969 Cypraea fimbriata Gmelin, 1791 Cypraea friendii Gray, 1831 Cypraea fultoni Sowerby, 1903 Cypraea fuscodentata Gray, 1825 Cypraea fuscorubra Shaw, 1909 Cypraea gangranosa Dillwyn, 1817 Cypraea garciai Lorenz & Raines, 2001 Cypraea gaskoinii Reeve, 1846 Cypraea geographica Schilder, 1933 Cypraea gilvella Lorenz, 2002 Cypraea globulus Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea goodalli Sowerby I,1832 Cypraea gracilis Gaskoin, 1849 Cypraea granulata Pease, 1862 Cypraea guttata Gmelin, 1791 Cypraea hammondae Iredale, 1939 Cypraea hartsmithi Schilder, 1967 Cypraea helvola Melvill, 1888 Cypraea histrio Gmelin, 1791 Cypraea isabella Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea isabellamexicana Stearns, 1893 Cypraea kieneri Hidalgo, 1906 Cypraea leucodon Broderip, 1828 Cypraea leviathan Schilder & Schilder, 1937 Cypraea limacina Lamarck, 1810 Cypraea lynx Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea mappa Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea margarita Dillwyn, 1817 Cypraea mariae Schilder, 1927 Cypraea mauritiana Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea microdon Gray, 1758 Cypraea minoridens Melvill, 1901 Cypraea moneta Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea mus Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea nigropunctata Gray, 1828 Cypraea nucleus Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea ocellata Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea onyx Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea oweni Linné, 1758 Cypraea pantherina Solander in Lightfoot, 1786 Cypraea poraria Linné, 1758 Cypraea propinqua Garrett, 1879 Cypraea pulchra Gray, 1824 Cypraea robertsi Hidalgo, 1906 Cypraea spadicea Swainson, 1836 Cypraea spurca Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea staphylaea Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea stercoraria Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea surinamensis G. Perry, 1811 Cypraea talpa Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea testudinaria Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea tigris Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea vitellus Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea vredenburgi Schilder, 1927 Cypraea walkeri Sowerby I, 1832 Cypraea xanthodon Sowerby I, 1832 Cypraea zebra Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea ziczac Linnaeus, 1758 Cypraea zonaria Gmelin, 1791

Media

Cypraea caputserpentis

See also

• Shell-money

External links

• cowrys.org
• Cowrie Genomic Database Project
• Genus Cypraea on Animal Diversity Web
• Cowries.info