Hong Kong Corals & the Associated Marine Life

This attractive spindle cowrie (or ovulid) is feeding on the white gorgonian, Euplexaura  curvata. Although the flesh has been eaten, the gorgonians are not killed as they are able to regenerate the flesh within a few days.

Crenavolva cuspise has three colours to match that of the host gorgonian, deep purplish-brown, pinkish-white and orange. It is reasonably abundant within the Cape d'Aguilar Marine Reserve.

This tiny cowrie, which rarely exceeds 1 cm in length, lives on red soft coral Dendronephthya. The cowrie's mantle provides extremely good camouflage for the snail, having white filaments to mimic the tissue and white spicules of the host. It is a parasite, feeding on soft coral tissue, but seems to cause little harm to the host.

The beautiful and distinctive Arabian cowrie is abundant in local waters. The bilobed mantle, which emerges from the shell can be extended to cover the outside of the shell. It has special cells that secrete the calcium carbonate matrix of the shell and maintain its rich, glossy appearance.

This conch shell can reach a maximum length of 7 cm. Species of Strombus are herbivorous and have particularly large eyes mounted on stout tentacles.

This species of snail feeds on coral tissues, leaving behind the dead skeleton. Overproduction of this snail can cause the entire reef to be killed off, like the Ningaloon reef in Western Australia.