Cowries and their relatives (Eratoidae, Cypraeidae, Ovulidae) are a group of related families of prosobranch mollusks in which an external shell is covered with the mantle when the animal is active. The mantle is often elaborately ornamented with papillae or tubercles. Like the velutinids, they may be distinguished from sea slugs by their cephalic tentacles that emerge from beneath the mantle and the bulbous eye spots at the bases of those tentacles. Cypraeids are herbivores or sponge feeders while eratoids feed on colonial tunicates and ovulids on corals. Representative Hawaiian species:

Monetaria moneta CP: Hekili Point, Maui; Dec. 3, 2002	Erosaria helvola CP: Maalaea Bay, Maui; Dec. 13, 2014	Luria isabella CP: Kapalua Bay, Maui; March 28, 2004
Monetaria caputserpentis CP: Hekili Point, Maui; April 20, 2008	Purpuradusta fimbriata CP: Kapalua Bay, Maui; Nov. 1999	Trivirostra edgari CP: Maui; Aug. 2002

For more information see: The prosobranch addendum on this site for Eratoidae and Triviidae   Keoki Stender's cowrie page   Hawaiian cowries by Scott & Jeanette Johnson Kwahalein cowries by Scott & Jeanette Johnson Kwajalein trivias by Scott & Jeanette Johnson   Kwajalein Ovulidae by Scott & Jeanette Johnson   Eratoidae (Triviidae) on the Sea Slug Forum   Cypraeidae on the Sea Slug Forum   Ovulidae on the Sea Slug Forum