White-spotted Cowry Shell, Naria albuginosa

White Spotted Cowry Shell, Naria albuginosa. Shell collected off the beach in the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, February 2020. Size: 2.7 cm (1.1 inches) x 1.7 cm (0.7 inches).

White Spotted Cowry Shell, Naria albuginosa. Shell collected off the beach at Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur, May 2025. Size: 2.9 cm (1.1 inches) x 1.8 cm (0.7 inches) x 2.4 cm (0.9 inches). Photograph and Identification courtesy of Colin Campbell, DVM, Punta Chivato, Baja California Sur.

Phylogeny: The White-spotted Cowry Shell, Naria albuginosa (Gray, 1825), is a gastropod mollusk that is a member of the Cypraeidae Family of Cowrie Shells. The genus Naria is one of fifty-five genera in this family, and there are twenty-seven species in this genus. They are also known as the Aubergine Cowry Shell and the Purple-based Cowry Shell. In Mexico they are known as Ciprea Manchas Blancas and Caracol Porcelana Moteado. The species name albuginosa comes from the Latin word alba, meaning “white.”

Description: The White-spotted Cowry Shell has a eggplant-shaped profile with callus on the sides giving it a plump appearance. The dorsal surface is a light beige to buff color, covered with round chestnut colored spots, some of which have white centers. The living shell has a lilac border wrapped around the white base, which quickly disappears after death.  White-spotted Cowry Shells reach a maximum of 3.0 cm (1.2 inches) in length and 1.9 cm (0.7 inches) in height.

Habitat and Distribution: White-spotted Cowrys are found in deep cracks and holes within the reef at depths between 6 m (20 feet) and 24 m (80 feet). They are a subtropical to tropical Eastern Pacific species that are found in all Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean with the exception that they are absent from north of Bahía de Los Ángeles, Baja California, in the Sea of Cortez and south of Manzanillo, Colima, along the southwest coast of the mainland.

Ecology and Behavior: White-spotted Cowrys are omnivorous grazers that feed primarily on algae and small benthic invertebrates. They are gonochoric and reproduce sexually,  through broadcast spawning, with external fertilization. Their engagement in any type of commensal, parasitic, or symbiotic relationship has not been formally documented. From a conservation perspective they have not been formally evaluated. However, they are fairly common with a relatively wide distribution and should be considered to be of Least Concern.

Synonyms: Cypraea albuginosa, Erosaria albuginosa, Erosaria albuginosa nariaeformis, Luponia fimbriolata, and Naria albuginosa var. amygdala.