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Eyed Cowrie

Arestorides argus

  • Molluscs
  • IUCN: Not evaluated
  • Usual depth9–20 m
  • Water temperature24–30 °C
  • Best monthsJuly, August, and October
  • How commonRare
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Photo credit: (c) Elisabeth Morcel, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist

About this species

Arestorides argus, commonly called the eyed cowrie, is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Arestorides argus”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

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Best months

Worldwide (open data)

  • January: 15 records
  • February: 19 records
  • March: 17 records
  • April: 9 records
  • May: 12 records
  • June: 17 records
  • July: 23 records
  • August: 23 records
  • September: 16 records
  • October: 20 records
  • November: 18 records
  • December: 11 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 9–20 m · Deepest record: 26.5 m

  • 0–10 m: 2 records
  • 10–20 m: 13 records
  • 20–30 m: 1 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 24–30 °C

  • 22–24 °C: 1 records
  • 24–26 °C: 18 records
  • 26–28 °C: 70 records
  • 28–30 °C: 106 records

Names and classification

English
Eyed Cowrie, Eyed Cowry
Names in 2 more languages
Japanese
ジャノメダカラ
Simplified Chinese
百眼寶螺

Other scientific names: Cypraea argus, Lyncina argus, Talparia argus

Similar species

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

  • Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
  • Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
  • Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
  • 342 open-data records from 1758 to 2012.
  • Species data updated October 26, 2026.

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