Genus Cypraea, Linnaeus 1758

This genus contains only three species, two specifics and a controversial

Cypraea tigris tigris,tigris pardalis, Cypraea pantherina, Cypraea lorenzi and Cypraea schilderiana.

Here are the most famous and iconic porcelain if not of shells . Everyone or almost has known ,see to in his families homes, on the mantelpiece. "Oh, hear the sea!". Always an uncle with a mustache who smells the sulfur for family, which made the Colonial, the Indochina or the Dardanelles, see the Royale (Navy), Madagascar, Pondichery ... Banks of Newfoundland, lobster off of Africa, why not! Or simply bring back from Sables d 'Olonne on the occasion of the first-paid leave. And now, you've caught the virus. I must say that the incubation period is variable, often time: 7 to 77 years. An event trigger is still needed. And advantage, the "beast" is found everywhere. It is present in everything that relates to the beach, sea, holidays. I speak not only of souvenir shops but also shop-windows and show-windows of pharmacies, hairdressers, travel agencies and insurances, flea markets and yard sales but curiously rare in sellers shops of sea foods and fishmongers .

She is trading by the ton. It is not uncommon see it for entire pallets, bulk bags, in heaps. South-west of Zanzibar, a beach, called shell beach, is strewn of all took the top off, certainly the feeding villager close. Must say that poor little thing does not hide the day, lives on the reef in shallow and loves sunbathing in the pools-tide of hot water.

In New Caledonia and at least in Melanesia, it is used for octopus fishing. The shell is adorned with a "tail" made of what we want if that mimics the hair in water. It must a little red. Then, pull at the extremity of one rope of a lascivious manner and waving above the reef (- 1 m from bottom), it is supposed to lure octopus, who, large wets, took it a rat for.

They are many in the coconut palms plantation and the motus (small islet on Polynesian atoll). A famous legend, the octopus and the rat is routinely told in New Caledonia to which no ''z'oreille'' going to tribes can't escape. They have several like that... They all end with an uplifting moral, it is their fables of La Fontaine ( famous French fabulist, 17 century). One, must be relate you at all costs is the "tayo gras''. This is a myth, for once,to the east coast dating from the arrival of Polynesians on the island of Uvea (Uvea) and that of the "root of the banyan tree" (Canala) which must date from the same period. I will not dwell on the sexual connotation of the beast freshly caught, eternal subject of giggles, sidelong glances, supported, explicit and more if affinities, from the ''popiné'' (local nickname of sea cicadas and young girls). So the octopus, by luring abused, goes out of its hole and with a strong jerk of legs propels itself on the thing, embraces it, glues it, and presto! We pull the all into the boat. Done!!!

Well, we move on to serious matters. The TIGRIS!!! Especially mine. All are came from of bay Magenta (New Caledonia). It would not came the idea of collecting small. The large orange was purchased in a Spanish curio shop and on the others on flea markets in Paris. My observations about the difference Cypraea tigris / schilderiana. If the shorter teeth did the difference, Hawaii has no monopoly on production. It has perhaps that of gigantism in that case but not that of ''short teeth.'' Certainly the black spots well defined are a caracteristic but if the one that selects only those that meet the criteria and downgrades the others in ''Cypraea tigris''. This reminds me of the proponents of the exclusivity melanistic cowrie in New Caledonia who were accept with their lips that there can be in Australia but not on the Caledonian East Coast. The Hawaiian Cypraea schilderiana offered on Ebay have really columellar teeth confined to the opening.

Now, since you have read so far, you can view photos.

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