Common Name: Milk Spot Cowrie

Distribution: Common in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific region. In Australia recorded from Perth in Western Australia, across the tropical north, the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef in Queensland and south to southern New South Wales, and including Lord Howe Island.

Ecological Notes: Found in crevices, under rocks and slabs of dead coral, along coastal headlands and offshore islands. Specimens in photographs at depths of around 12 m.

Additional Notes: Dorsal surface of shell is brown, with three darker brown transverse bands, and marked with white spots of varying size. The base is rounded and coloured white or fawn. Mantle colour varies from blotched black to dark brown and grey, papillae are yellow or brownish white. Specimen in lower photograph laying eggs. Grows to 70 mm.

References: Cowries of New South Wales, David Tarrant, published by David Tarrant, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2016. pp.94-5.

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=lyncina+vitellus. Accessed 08/11/2018.