Ring cowrie
Monetaria annulus
Also known as Gold Ring Cowrie, Cypraea annulus, Gold Ringer Cowrie
SaltwaterSnail
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 75–81°F
- 24–27°C
- pH
- 8.1–8.4
- Adult size
- 1.2 in
- 3 cm
- Minimum tank
- 20 gal
- 75 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Social
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Breeding
- No record
- Rarity
- Common
- Reef safe
- Reef safe
- Family
- Cypraeidae
- Origin
- Indo-Pacific, grazing intertidal rock and shallow reef flats.
Overview
Add one or a few to a tank of 75 litres or more at 24 to 27 C and pH 8.1 to 8.4 with mature rock to graze. It is a peaceful, reef safe grazer that eats diatoms, film algae, hair algae, and some cyanobacteria. It is harmless to corals and fish, though a busy grazer can nudge loosely placed frags as it works the rock.
In the wild
The money cowrie is a small snail with a glossy, egg-shaped shell marked by a gold or orange ring on top. In life the living animal wraps a fleshy mantle over the shell to keep it polished. It grazes algae over rock and glass, usually growing to around 2 to 3 cm.
Good to know
Now placed in the genus Monetaria, this snail was long known as Cypraea annulus. Its shells were used as shell money across parts of Africa, Asia, and the Pacific for centuries, which is where the name comes from.
Did you know
The living snail keeps its shell glassy smooth by wrapping soft mantle flaps up over it whenever it is left undisturbed.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
Ring cowrie is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.
Skunk cleaner shrimp
Lysmata amboinensis
Saltwater2.4 in (6 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)
Tailspot blenny
Ecsenius stigmatura
Saltwater2.4 in (6 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)
Helfrich's firefish
Nemateleotris helfrichi
Saltwater2.4 in (6 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)
Tiger / strawberry conch
Conomurex luhuanus
Saltwater2.8 in (7 cm) · 20 gal (75 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
Camel / dancing shrimp
Rhynchocinetes durbanensis
Saltwater2 in (5 cm) · 16 gal (60 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
Sharknose goby
Elacatinus evelynae
Saltwater1.6 in (4 cm) · 13 gal (50 L)75–79°F (24–26°C)
Common questions
What size tank does a Ring cowrie need?
A Ring cowrie needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH does a Ring cowrie need?
A Ring cowrie is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.
How big does a Ring cowrie get?
An adult Ring cowrie reaches about 1.2 in (3 cm).
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