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InvertebrateMarineIntermediate

Tiger cowrie

Cypraea tigris

The Tiger Cowry is a large, striking mollusk famous for its beautifully patterned shell. A peaceful nocturnal herbivore, it requires a very large reef tank with securely glued rockwork to graze.

Taxonomy

Class:Gastropoda

Order:Littorinimorpha

Family:Cypraeidae

Genus:Cypraea

Species:Cypraea tigris

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Water Temperature

22 - 28 °C

pH Value

8.1 - 8.4

Water type

Marine

Invertebrate type

Freshwater snail

Adult size

10 cm

Minimum group

>= 1

8 - 12 dKH

Ecological role

Herbivore

Species description

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Cypraea tigris is widely distributed throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific, from the coast of East Africa and the Red Sea to the Hawaiian Islands and French Polynesia. It inhabits outer reef slopes, lagoons, and shallow sandy flats to depths of about 30 meters. During the day, it seeks shelter in dark caves, under large coral plates, or in deep crevices to avoid natural predators.

Taxonomy: Belongs to the class Gastropoda, family Cypraeidae, and genus Cypraea. Described by Linnaeus in 1758, it is the quintessential cowrie species. The shell is heavy, egg-shaped, and has an exceptionally high natural polish because the animal's mantle tissue covers it almost entirely during activity, protecting it from abrasion and epibiont growth.

Social Behavior: A solitary and primarily nocturnal mollusk. During the day, it remains stationary in its hiding spots, but at night it extends its dark, papilla-covered mantle and crawls across the tank in search of food. It is peaceful toward fish and other non-prey invertebrates, but its large size and weight can make it physically destructive to aquascapes.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: The shell features a white, cream, or yellowish background pattern, densely covered with dark brown to black spots of varying sizes, resembling a leopard or tiger print. The mantle is dark grey with black markings. No visible external sexual dimorphism exists; sexes can only be distinguished during reproduction or internal examination.

Care, breeding and tankmates

Tank Setup: Requires a mature and large marine aquarium of at least 300 liters. Since adults can reach a significant size (up to 12-15 cm) and have a heavy shell, they can easily knock over unsecured rockwork or damage loose coral colonies. All aquascape structures must be firmly glued. Provide large caves for daytime shelter.

Diet and Feeding: Unlike strictly herbivorous snails, Cypraea tigris is an opportunistic omnivore. It feeds on benthic algae, detritus, sponges, anemones, and soft coral polyps. In captivity, it must be offered pieces of fresh seafood, thawed shrimp, mussels, and dried nori. If underfed, it will nip at LPS and soft corals.

Water Quality: Demands stable marine water parameters. Temperature between 24°C and 28°C, pH of 8.1 to 8.4, specific gravity of 1.023 to 1.025, and dKH between 8 and 12. As a mollusk, it has zero tolerance for copper or heavy metals. Maintaining calcium (400-440 ppm) and magnesium (1250-1350 ppm) is vital for shell health.

Compatibility and Tankmates: Can be kept with peaceful or medium-sized reef fish. Do not house with mollusk-eating predators like puffers, triggers, or large wrasses that could crush its shell or attack the exposed mantle. It is not reef-safe for tanks containing delicate soft corals, anemones, or sponges.

Aquarium Breeding: Breeding in captivity is extremely rare and difficult. In nature, the female deposits egg capsules on hard surfaces and guards them by sitting on them for about two weeks. The hatched veliger larvae have a prolonged pelagic phase, making survival impossible in standard aquarium setups due to filtration systems.

Risks and Diseases: Starvation in sterile or clean tanks is the most common risk. The shell can erode if pH drops below 8.0 or if calcium levels are inadequate. Extremely sensitive to medications; copper treatments for fish diseases must never be used in a tank housing this cowrie.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Cypraea tigris is widely distributed throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific, from the coast of East Africa and the Red Sea to the Hawaiian Islands and French Polynesia. It inhabits outer reef slopes, lagoons, and shallow sandy flats to depths of about 30 meters. During the day, it seeks shelter in dark caves, under large coral plates, or in deep crevices to avoid natural predators.

Origin

Tropical oceans and reefsAfrica and Madagascar

Invertebrate profile

Diet: Omnivore
Ecological role: Herbivore
Shock sensitivity: High
Calcium and minerals: High
Molting: Shell growth
Reproduction: Oviparous
Compatibility & tankmates: Not reef safe

Image gallery

Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.

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Variants and close relatives

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Money Cowry

Monetaria moneta

Species description

Care, breeding and tankmates