Barycypraea fultoni

Fulton's Cowry (or Maltese Cross Cowry) ranks among the most famous and sought-after species of the family Cypraeidae. In the 1980s, a collector bought the then world record size (slightly less than 80 mm) specimen for US$22,000. Not long after, a specimen over 80mm was purchased for US$25,000. Before 1980, there were less than 40 specimens known. In the mid-1980s, Russian trawlers began to find thousands of specimens along Mozambique. The large number of specimens now available were first separated into two subspecies (pyriform fultoni fultoni and extremely calloused specimens named fultoni amorimi) and later four subspecies. While the subdivision of the specimens from South African waters (fultoni) and Mozambican waters (amorimi) is also well supported by molecular data, there remains an uncertainty concerning the two taxa from shallower waters from the same general areas (deltoidea in South Africa and massieri in Mozambique). Their position either as bathymetric subspecies or bathymetric forms is an open question.

Barycypraea fultoni
Apertural views of shells of Barycypraea fultoni (right) and Bernaya teulerei (left)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Littorinimorpha
Family:	Cypraeidae
Genus:	Barycypraea
Species:	B. fultoni
Binomial name
Barycypraea fultoni (Sowerby III, 1903)
Synonyms[1]
Bernaya fultoni (Sowerby III, 1903) Cypraea fultoni Sowerby III, 1903

Subspecies

• Barycypraea fultoni amorimi Raybaudi Massilia, L., 1990^[2]
• Barycypraea fultoni fultoni (Sowerby, G.B. III, 1903)^[3]

Description

Shell size 60-85 mm.

Distribution

This species is distributed in the Indian Ocean along the coasts of East Africa and South Africa.