kūpeʻe

Description:

Kūpeʻe come in a range of colors. These were in white sand and on calcified sand/pale substrates, so I assume the lighter coloring of these kūpeʻe are related to this environment. Not sure what eats these (besides humans).

Habitat:

Intertidal zone, where coralline sand, rock, and water meet and mix, and where that sand/rock interface are exposed at low tide.

Notes:

These were the only two kūpeʻe found on this stretch of beach. Hope there are more that I didn't find... so they can reproduce! Please do not disturb these. These are not as common as I hear they used to be. I think the Hawaiian name kūpeʻe might refer to the rising or emerging (kū) of these beauties that hide (peʻe) in the sand.