Posted: Mar 21 2023
Naria turdus (Lamarck, 1810), Thrush Cowrie
March 2023: We now have six Cypraeidae in Florida waters.
Oleinik, Leal, DuPont and Uthairat. March 2023. A prediction held true: first record of the non-indigenous Thrush Cowrie Naria turdus (Lamarck, 1810) (Gastropoda: Cypraeidae) in South Florida. The Nautilus. 137(1):31-34.
"The non-indigenous thrush cowrie Naria turdus (Lamarck, 1810), with its natural range in the eastern Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, apparently appeared in the greater Caribbean region in 2020. First records seemingly come from the
island of Aruba where Mr. Leo Ros of the
Aruba Shell Club photographed a living
specimen of N. turdus in July of 2020 (Dekkers
and Ros, 2022)." "... we can expect Naria turdus
to appear in Florida’s coastal waters in the near
future. That “near future” had arrived on
December 24, 2022, when live N. turdus ... was
photographed underwater by Nuch Uthairat in
Lake Worth Lagoon ..." Adjacent photos with
permission of Ms. Uthairat via Anne Dupont.
Dekkers and Ros. August 2022. On the Invasion of Naria turdus (Gastropoda, Cypraeidae) in the Dutch Caribbean, with taxonomic notes on the species. The Festivus. Vol. 54(3).
"The species was first discovered in the Dutch Antilles by the second author in July 2020 in the waters around Aruba. (Figure 1)"
"Usually around 27-32 mm (can reach 40 mm+). Its shell co9lor pattern includes brown spots on the lighter-colored background of the dorsal shell surface, white, yellowish to greenish. The form of the shell is more or less oval and broader and more slender examples are regular finds." "The base is white and the white color is often seen dorsally as band around shell."
Adjacent photo is of N. turdus laying egg capsules. It's mantle is extended and covers the entire shell.
Fantastic photo on March 1, 2024 by Sandra Edwards taken in north Lake Worth Lagoon, Palm Beach Co., FL. Size is apx. 4-5 inches.
Another great photo by Sandra Edwards taken April 11, 2024 at the same location.
I've been monitoring iNaturalis for sightings of N. turdus at locations other than the north end of the Lake Worth Lagoon. Here they are:
