"Leporicypraea mappa" is widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific. It is present in many regions, including East Africa, Madagascar, southeastern Red Sea, eastern Polynesia, southern Japan, Australia and New Caledonia. This exceptionally wide range may possibly be an artifact. Some conchologists claim that the taxonomy of the species is poorly resolved; if the map cowry is discovered to be cryptic species complex, then this could drastically change the range of its distribution. The map cowry lives in the intertidal and sublittoral zones, usually in coral reef areas, dwelling under slabs and stones at depths of 45 m. The flesh of the map cowry is edible, and it is commonly collected by local fishermen for food and shell trading wherever it occurs. It is sold in fish markets in the northern Philippines. The shells of "Cypraea mappa" (as it was previously known) were considered rare, exotic and beautiful, and were highly prized by private shell collectors in the late 1950s.