Ten cowrie species compared through exact Wikimedia Commons shell photographs. An editorial selection exploring shapes and patterns. Attribution: 1. File:Monetaria moneta 01.JPG; H. Zell; CC BY-SA 3.0; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Monetaria_moneta_01.JPG; Cropped the single dorsal photograph from the original five-view photographic plate; no synthesis or retouching. Fitted without further cropping into 9:16. 2. File:Monetaria annulus 01.JPG; H. Zell; CC BY-SA 3.0; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Monetaria_annulus_01.JPG; Cropped the single dorsal photograph from the original five-view photographic plate; no synthesis or retouching. Fitted without further cropping into 9:16. 3. File:Cypraea tigris 01.JPG; H. Zell; CC BY-SA 3.0; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cypraea_tigris_01.JPG; Cropped the single dorsal photograph from the original five-view photographic plate; no synthesis or retouching. Fitted without further cropping into 9:16. 4. File:Mauritia arabica 01.JPG; H. Zell; CC BY-SA 3.0; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mauritia_arabica_01.JPG; Cropped the single dorsal photograph from the original five-view photographic plate; no synthesis or retouching. Fitted without further cropping into 9:16. 5. File:Mauritia_mauritiana_01.JPG; H. Zell; CC BY-SA 3.0; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mauritia_mauritiana_01.JPG; Cropped the single dorsal photograph from the original five-view photographic plate; no synthesis or retouching. Fitted without further cropping into 9:16. 6. File:Lyncina_lynx_01.JPG; H. Zell; CC BY-SA 3.0; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lyncina_lynx_01.JPG; Cropped the single dorsal photograph from the original five-view photographic plate; no synthesis or retouching. Fitted without further cropping into 9:16. 7. File:Lyncina_vitellus_vitellus_01.JPG; H. Zell; CC BY-SA 3.0; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lyncina_vitellus_vitellus_01.JPG; Cropped the single dorsal photograph from the original five-view photographic plate; no synthesis or retouching. Fitted without further cropping into 9:16. 8. File:Leporicypraea mappa 01.JPG; H. Zell; CC BY-SA 3.0; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Leporicypraea_mappa_01.JPG; Cropped the single dorsal photograph from the original five-view photographic plate; no synthesis or retouching. Fitted without further cropping into 9:16. 9. File:Talparia talpa 01.JPG; H. Zell; CC BY-SA 3.0; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Talparia_talpa_01.JPG; Cropped the single dorsal photograph from the original five-view photographic plate; no synthesis or retouching. Fitted without further cropping into 9:16. 10. File:Arestorides_argus_01.JPG; H. Zell; CC BY-SA 3.0; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arestorides_argus_01.JPG; Cropped the single dorsal photograph from the original five-view photographic plate; no synthesis or retouching. Fitted without further cropping into 9:16. Video adaptation and project contributions: CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ . Original photographs retain their licenses. No author endorsement implied.