Carinapex minutissima (Garrett, Carinapex sp. This shell is Kermia sp. This distinctive Kermia allialli (Kay, Lienardia sp. Shiny spiral threads 1873). One of the smallestbut most common at most sites sampled turrid shell is characterizedby 1979). This microturrid is characterize the body sculpture of common turrid shells found in sedi- on the Big Island. It is slightly intermittent brown pigmen- commoll ill most sedimellt this microturrid shell from Puako ment samplesfrom the Big Island. larger than C. minutissima and tation on the spiral cords. samplesfrom the Big Island. Bay. Shell length = 4.5mm. Shell length = 3mm. has a distinctive white band on Shell length = 3.9mm. Shelllellgth = 4.2mm. the last wharl. Shell length = 4mm.

By DR. DON E. HEMMES* and MERTON J. GOLDSMITH**

Publication of Dr. E. Alison Kay's Hawaiian that the interest her publication sparked has con- tusum (Reeve, 1845), and V. interruptum (Anton, Marine SheDsin 1979 openedthe door to the world tributed to more myopia and dizzy spells in these 1839). In any case, we returned repeatedlyto Puhi of micromolluscsfor many Hawaii malacologists.It islands than any other event in recent history. Bay in Hilo and Puako Bay on the Kona Coast as stimulatedsome of us to spendhours with magnify- We began studying micromolluscstwo years ago the best sites for fresh shells. ing lensesor stereo microscopes,searching through by collecting small amounts of sediment along the These small placid bays range in depth from 2 to 10 meters and are easily accessiblewith snorkeling sedimentsfor the beautiful shells of these tiny ani- accessibleshoreline near Hilo, on the easternside of gear. The sand channelswhich line the coral ridges mals. the Big Island of Hawaii, and near Puako, on the and basaltic cliffs along most of the shoreline are We define a micromollusc as having a fully westernside. Each has its unique assemblage. depositoriesfor the shells of an enormousvariety of formed shell of lOmm or less. It doesn't talce long micromolluscswhich inhabit the alga beds and live with other marine invertebratesthroughout the bays. Tbe Hilo area has greater populationsof the mar- to distinguish them from the protoconchsand shell The lack of extensivewave action preventsthe abra- fragments of larger molluscs and to match the ginellids Volvarina fusiformis (Hinds, 1844) and sive movement of the sand and polishing of shells majority of the common specieswith those pictured Granula sandwicensis (Pease, 1860) and the which occur in shallow water near beaches. trochids Thalotia ocellata (A. Adams, 1861) and T. Our collecting techniquesare simple. We scoop in Dr. Kay's book. Historians will probably affmn up severaltwo-pound coffee cans of sedimentfrom subangulata (Pease, 1861), whereas the western promising sites under coral overhangsor in narrow shore has FineUa pupoides (A. Adams, 1860) in protected channels and sift the material through a *Biology Department, University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hilo, series of screens with approximately %, 1/4, and HI 96720 the silty areas and an abundanceof micromiters **485 WaianuenueAvenue, Hilo, HI 96720 such as VexiUum capricornea (Hedley, 1907), V. (Cont'd on Page 6) Page 2 HAWAIIAN SHELL NEWS March. 1985

'7I4((.I.4ttale S Itett 1teUt4 ISSN 0017-8624 A new edition of the Cumulative Index to Ha- Marty Gill has advised HMS of a new address. Editor Emeritus E. R. CROSS Shamaron Shells now operates out of 1306 East waiian Shell News is in preparation and soon will Editor STUART lILLICO Forty-Eighth Street, Brooklyn, NY 11234. be available, according to Index Editor Ray McKin- Associate Editors ELMER LEEHMAN. OLIVE SCHOENBERG sey. Distribution is expected to start by May. * * * Science Advisor OR. E. ALISON KAY "This expanded edition will cover the years from ~dventures Down Under Science Consultant W. O. CERNOHORSKY 1975 through 1984," McKinsey reports. "The for- After a stint as an exchange professor at the Editorial Staff LYMAN HIGA. RICHARO SALISBURY. WALTER SAGE, OOROTHY WENOT mat will be the same as the current (1975-1981) University of Canterburyin Christchurch, New Zea- Editorial Assistants GEORGE CAMPBELL, index." land, HMS member Forest W. Redding, Jr. has BUNNIE COOK, OR. CARL CHRISTENSEN The price, to be announced when costs have been Corresponding Editors MARGE BRAONER, OONALO OAN, returned to his regular teaching post with Phillips FR. AL LOPEZ S.J., HENK K. MIENIS, PETER van PEL, computed, will vary somewhat according to mailing University at Enid, OK. AURORA RICHAROS, THORA WHITEHEAO class and destination. "The shelling adventuresmy family and I had Index Editor '." RAY McKINSEY

along the eastern coast of the South Island did not HAWAIIAN MALACOLOGICAL SOCIETY Endangered produce any rare or surprising finds," he writes. (Founded in 1941) POBox 10391 Honolulu, Hawaii 96816 After several years of compromise, the Board of "Ordinarily, however, we live so far from the sea President WILLIAM ERNST Directors of the Society has instructed the Publica- that we were thrilled by weekendjourneys along the Vice President OR. TOM BURCH tion Committee to refuse future advertising offering rugged Kaikoura coast north of Christchurch, the Treasurer "., GEORGE COOK molluscs that are on the Endangered Species list of Banks .Peninsula south of Avon, and the Otago Recording Sec'y STAN JAZWINSKI Corresponding Sec'y OOROTHY WENOT any nation adhering to the CITES treaty. Peninsulanear Dunedin. Office Manager HELYN MALOUFF In the past, HSN has accepted ads offering "After my teaching and researchwere completed specimens of Papustyla pulcherrima, the Manus Directors at Christchurch, I journeyed to Brisbane. Just as DR. CARLCHRISTENSEN STUARTlILLICO green tree snail, but has attached a warning to pros- Thora Whiteheadhad predicted (HSN Jan. 1984), a BUNNIECOOK RAYMcKINSEY pective purchasers that there are legal restrictions on wonderful welcome was waiting for me all along the E. R. CROSS KIRKMILLER BEAHOWLETT MIKEOWENS transfers of the shells. Queenslandcoast. The weather and tides were not Although traffic in the green tree snails has been MECKHOWLETT OLIVESCHOENBERG ideal for shelling, but I have never been treatedwith SCOTTJOHNSON JOEVILLANUEVA JR. banned for several years, the disposition of older greater kindness. I wish I could have spent months The Society meets the first Wednesday of each month at the collections was felt to be a special problem for First United Methodist Church, Beretania & Victoria Streets, along the Great Barrier Reef instead of the brief 12 in Honolulu which some leeway in accepting ads was justified. days. VISITORS WELCOME! The HMS Directors agreed that this is no longer "While my shelling in New Zealand and Aus- Hawaiian Shell News is issued free to members of the needed. Society Postage rates have been computed and added to tralia was limited by expenseand time, I did make a membership dues Individual copies of any issue may be The precise status of Australian shells is uncer- rare discovery: one of the greatestjoys of shelling is obtained, free of charge, by qualified individuals for bona fide tain. Canberra's blanket embargo covers a multitude research projects. in meeting people (malacologists, curators and Members outside the United States are asked to pay with a of species that cannot even remotely be regarded .as bank cheque (not a draft) payable to HMS on a U.S. bank fishermen) who, with open hearts and friendly con- (Be sure your name and address appear on the cheque) endangered. Nor is it clear whether the Australians versations, are eager to share knowledge about intended their unilateral ban to be based on the HMS DUES FOR 1985 conservationand wise utilization of the world's ma- First Class delivery of HSN in US, CITES treaty. Canada and Mexico (Recommended) $20.00 rine resources!" By Bulk Mail to U.S. Zip Code addresses $16.00 Keeping Up With the Coneses Tom Richert Remembered Delivery by Air Maii (Recommended) to Caribbean and Central America (1 week) $2450 "As a general collector of marine shells world- At the Decembermeeting of the HMS Board of to Europe, Med. Africa and wide, I have a great deal of trouble trying to keep Directors, George Cook proposed the following re- S. America (2 weeks) $27.00 to Pacific, Asia, Africa (2 weeks) $2900 up my reading on all fronts," laments HSN Corres- solution in memory of Dr, Tom Richert, long-time Delivery by Letter Mail (5 to 10 weeks) $21.00 Delivery as Printed Matter ponding Editor Thora Whiteheadin Brisbane. active member of the Society who died in Honolulu (8 to 30 weeks) $19.50 "The Cones, being so popular, have more written on 29 November, It was adoptedunanimously. Associate membership (HMS card but no HSN) $1.00 about them than most groups, and this is helpful. "During his twenty-one years as a Articles of interest to shell collectors are solicited. Con- tents are not copyrighted. Republicat"n, with credit to HSN, "John Tucker's recent article (HSN Oct. 1984) memberof the Hawaiian Malacological Soci- is invited on the Conus species of Shikama and co-authors ety, Dr. Thomas H, Richert contributed Advertisements are accepted at the rate of US $20.00 per . . significantly to the science of malacology column-inch/issue, payable in advance. Discounts are of- acknowledged only two of 15 species as valid, He and the development of our Society. He was fered for six and twelve insert.,ns. cited a reference to Lan, with an illustration of well known and widely respectedby scien- Typesetting, composit"n and printing of Hawaiian Shell News is done by Fisher Printing Co,. Honolulu Conus )oishiiI.k ' with C, clandestinus (the other valid tists and amateur shell collectors alike, both . d C I . d C trj 'bble. for his professionalqualifications and for his species I ene to . rec UZlQnus an. I, " .1. .11. . never-lal mg WI mgness to asSist ot hers. plus a key to help in diagnosis. "Tom's sudden death has left all of us St.11 .. h . .11 tr t. f C with a sense of personal loss. The Society is WELCOME TO HAWAII!! " I mlssmg, owever, IS an I us a Ion o. th e poorer "lor hIS. dep art ure fr om our coun- HMS membersvisiting Hawaii are invited to con- clandestinus Shikama.Can anyone supply one for cils. tact the Society while in Honolulu. Please keep in publication in HSN?" "The members of the Hawaiian Malacological Society and 1984 and 1985 mind, however, that the Society office is open ir- * * * Boards of Directors, meetingjointly, wish to regularly, and that it does not have a telephone. express their sympathy and condolencesto Society officers are listed individually in the tele- Hugh Bradner of La Jolla, CA (see "A Quick Mrs. Tetta Richert, to Mark and Lance phone book. If in doubt, ask the Waikiki Aquarium Visit to Costa Rica," page five of this issue) un- Richert, and to Mrs. Tiare Richert Finney. or the Bishop Museum for names.Better still, write derwent surgery for a damagedhip in mid-Novem- We hope they can take comfort from the ber. The operation went well and, according to thought that all HMS members share their to the Society in advance. The Museum's Karl word from his wife, Marge, Brad is expectedto be grief at the loss of husband,father and great Greene Shell Room has a good display of both back on his feet soon. friend." Hawaiian and Indo-Pacific species.

March, 1985 Page 4 HAWAIIAN SHELL NEWS

Dear Sir or Ms: Excerpts from USN's Recent Mail LEXINGTON, KY I have enjoyed USN for these last five years. Except for one fellow in Italy (see "Personal Ads," USN October 1984) I have seen no suggestionto speak of that anyone has come up with a computer program for cataloginghis shells. I find it hard to believe [that no one has such a program]. Surely among members there are some who. . . have developed programs for cataloging, say, Cypraea for the IBM PC. If so, I would like to hear about it. In fact, don't you think it would be well worth an article in USN? Martha C. Judd (Long-time HMS member Wes Thorsson of Ho- nolulu has done at least two articles on this subject --~~~~~ (see USN Feb. 1982 and Nov. 1983). The idea is a Plwto: Sahlberg good one, however, and we would welcome addi- Can these shells represent a new Conus species. asks Carl Sahling of Noblesville. IN. Ten specimens of an tional material. Ed., USN). obviously highly variable species were found in 30 feet of water at Bimini. on the Great Balwma Banks off City Beach, W.A. Florida. The shells figured above range in color from dark ash on the right to bright orange on the left. The bombshelldropped recently by the Australian Government, banning export of Australian shells, Does anyone have the answer? caught HSN, HMS membersand all of us quite off guard. I have had many letters from anxious collec- tors asking for an explanation. I am pleasedto say that there is good news for proposal of samiae, compared C. grangeri with "specimens from intervening areas could well show 1985- or at leastfor half of the year. After some "some patternsof C. mucronatus," but added that that these two (species) intergrade." pressure,there will be some relaxation. Six-month "specimens (of grangeri) with two distinct spiral HSN wishes it had a definitive answer, but it "authorities" are to be issued to certain dealers to brown bands posteriorly are not uncommon." He doesn't. At any rate, the specimen donated by Car- continue trading whilst "long-term arrangementsfor figured as C. grangeri four shells, all with two fel Museum of Manila to the HMS auction is fig- management" are made (by the various state gov- bandson the body whorl. ured at left. ernments). Tucker, in his HSN Feb. 1984 study, called Those to whom the moratorium applies include samiae a "probably valid species." He added, my own Westralian Shells, Amora Shells, Perth however, that even though samiae and grangeri are Shell Distributors and A.J. "Tony" Gabelish, to my distinguishable, "they could well be subspeciesof a knowledge. single polytypic species." The two are known from A condition of this arrangementis that each con- fairly widely separated parts of the Philippines signmentof shells (for export) will require approval. (southern Luzon and off Davao), he went on, and Trevor Sutcliffe

West Covina, CA The recent article on shells received for the forth- coming HMS Auction (see HSN Jan. 1985) men- tioned Conus samiae, with an estimated price of $200. There has always been some confusion be- tween Conus grangeri and C. samiae, but I 1 have available for exchange:two Dermomurex thought that John K. Tucker had set the record abyssicola (Crosse), Voluta abraea, red, w/operc, straight when he wrote no spine all around!; Siratus otacilla, yellow, (HSN Feb. 1984) that C. w/operc (1 only); three Conus magellanicus; and samiae has three color bandson its body whorl, Lyria archeri (1 only). 1 am looking for Cypraea while C. grangeri has and Conus. Make offer in first letter. Marcel only two. Mailly, % Moundras, Tivoli. Post Colon, 97234 For some years I have been receiving from the - Fort-de-France,Martinique, F.W .1. Philippines a cone with three color bands. . . as C. * * * grangeri at a very moderateprice of $7.50. Accord- "The purposeof this letter is to get in touch with ing to Tucker, I have been receiving samiae, (which persons and clubs allover the world in order to HSN) valued at $200. I would appreciatehelp on this rather confusing exchangeshells and infonnation about them, being situation. myself a collectionist. 1 would be pleasedto receive Tom Montgomery lists, books and catalogues, together with prices, Veteran collector and dealer Montgomery's con- while 1 will pay by postal order or whatever way fusion is thoroughly justified. When HMS member you suggest." Julian Embid Sanchez, i Esquinas, A.J. da Motta describedC. samiae as a new species II, Tafalla (Navarra), Spain. in Publicacoes Ocasionais da Sociedade Por- tuguesa de Malacologia (I) 1982, he wrote that it * * * is "closest in general appearance" to C. batheon 1 would be glad to exchangeMartinique shells for Sturany. There was no reference to C. grangeri mainly cones. Am willing to sell but prefer to ex- Sowerby. change. Patrice Bou, 2 Macabou, 97280 Veuclin, Walls' Cone Shells, published before da Motta's Martinique. March, 1985 HAWAIIAN SHELL NEWS Page 5

A Quick Visit PHILIPPINE LAND SNAILS: To Costa Rica Elusive Gems from Samar, Levte By MARGE BRADNER* LA JOLLA, CA - Costa Rica is a small country in Central America, stretching across the Isthmus from the Caribbeanon the east to the Pacific on the west. It shares borders with Panamato the south and Nicaragua to the north. Tropical shoresextend for hundredsof miles on each coast. The country is beautiful, and the Ticos (Costa Ricans) are warm and friendly. Costa Rica seemsto be a small oasis of stability in troubled Central America. The mysterious and remote Cocos Island lies off the westernshore (see HSN Oct. 1984). On the spur of the moment late last year, my husband and I boarded LACSA (the Costa Rican National Airline) in Los Angeles for the eight-hour flight to San Jose, Costa Rica's capital. We visited museums and enjoyed seeing pre-Columbian arti- facts of pounded gold, carved stone and molded clay. We stood at the edge of the crater of the 12,OOO-footdesolate Irazu volcano, enjoyed seeing the coffee beans being prepared for harvest, were surprised at untapped hydro-electric resources, and collected a few shells along the Pacific shoreline. Photo: Barnett The three-hourdrive from San Jose in the Central Some land snails of Samar and Leyte: Top row (left and right), Helicostyla (Trachystyla) cryptica cretata Highlands to the sea took us through cattle country, (Broderip); center, H. (Calocochlea) spaerion (Sowerby). Lower (left to right), H. (Hypselostyla) camelo- coffee and sugar-caneplantations and densejungle. pardalis connectens (Mollendolif), H. (C.) hidalgoi (MoUendolif), H. (C.) zonifera (Pfeiffer), (upper) Obba Costa Rica is a volcanic country. The gently slop- bigonia (Ferussac), (lower) O. moricandi (Sowerby). ing beachat Jaco is composedof fine black volcanic sand. The surf was heavy and swimming was not recommended.However, a good low tide (the area has a IO-foot tidal range) exposed thousands of By JAMES L. BARNETT Except for part of Northern Leyte, the two pro- tracks in the wet sand. Hundredsof unusually dark MANILA - The islands of Samar and Leyte, vinces are little developed and remain much as they and one albino Agaronia propatula (Conrad, 1849) lying between the Visayan Sea and the Philippine were years ago. The two are fairly heavily popu- wanderedin irregular circles interspersedwith tiny Sea (Pacific Ocean), fonD a large irregular land lated, however, with the majority of the people Olivella bitleri (Olsson, 1956). mass in the east-central Philippines. Except along living along the coasts, far removed from the habitat A large rocky outcrop at the north end of the the coastsboth are virtually all mountains. of the many species of fine land snails. beach was completely exposedat low tide. Limpets Both are near the axis of the east-westtyphoon In addition, a strong political dissidence exists in and chitons were abundant, along with colonies of belt. Northern Samar probably is hit by more the two provinces, especially in Samar. Since the rock shells. The Thais biserialis (Blainville, 1832) devastatingtropical stonns than any other region of dissidents and the snails both make their homes in and Thais melones (Duclos, 1832) shells seemed the Philippine archipelago(See Phil Clover's "Typ- the mountains, collecting is not only difficult but cleaner than those collected in other parts of the hoons, Tanglenets and Troubles," HSN February hazardous. world. Perhapsthe fine volcanic sand suspendedin 1985). Stonns lash the islands during the June-to- Among the land snails of Leyte and Samar in my sea water acts as an abrasive when the waves dash January rainy season- the best land-snail collect- collection, a representation of those most readily against the clinging mollusks. The interior violet ing period. available at present is figured above. and gold in the T. melones and orange in the T. biserialis were much brighter than those we have seenfrom other localities. Opeatostomapseudodon (Burrow, 1815), Bursa The Water Window i Orderyours now! . caelota (Broderip, 1833), and Latirus rudis (Reeve, Here's a new, easy-to-useproduct that makes searching . Name for underwater rocks, shells and collectibles in shallow Address . 1847) came from the rocks, as well as nerites, water simple, fun - and profitable! . C . drupesand Murex. Buytwo and save. . Ity. Jaco Beach was not cowry country. One worn . Made of dear, scratch-resistant . State beachspecimen of Cypraea robensi (Hidalgo, 1906) acrylic plastic. 20" in diameter Pleaseenclose S39 95 plusS200 for . . Sturdy rope handles . shIpping and handlIng per window; was all that we found. S 70 for 2 Each addItional - S35 Allow . NEW Water Window 2-4 weeks for delivery Make checks One week is only enough to whet one's appetite Acceaorlesl Nylon, mesh Shell . payableto . and to make one hunger to see and learn more of Bag $1.50; 2 foot rigid, acrylic. Water Window Works. CostaRica. Handle $350; Water Window PO Box 12260 '/ acrylic Polish $3.75. . Birminaham,Michiaan 48012 . "1867 Caminito Marzella. La Jolla. CA 92037. ~ Page 6 HAWAIIAN SHELL NEWS March, 1985

FAMILY TURRIDAE PUll BAY PUAKO BAY Subfamily Clavinae Carinapex minutissima(Garrett, 1873) abundant (+ + + + abundant (++++) Carinapex papiUosa (Garrett, 1873) uncommon (+ +) uncommon (+ +) Carinapex (?) sr. (Unknown #1) uncommon (+ +) uncommon (+ +) Clavus mighelsi (Kay, 1979) rare (+) common(+++) Clavus pusilla (Garrett, 1873) rare (+) . Triphora isaotakii (Kosuge, 1962). Family Triphoridae, Subfamily Triphorinae. This uncom- Subfamily Mitroluminae mon subtidal speciesis identified by its large white LoveUona atramentosa (Reeve, 1849) rare (+) rare (+) protoconch. It is figured in Hawaiian Marine LoveUona peaseana (Finlay, 1927) common (+++) common (+ ++) Shells (Pl. 51 0). Sometimesconfused with Cautor Mitrolumna metula (Hinds, 1843) uncommon (++) uncommon (++) similis (Pease, 1871), it is ornamentedwith a single Subfamily Mangeliinae short siphonal canal. Sculptureconsists of 3 rows of Etrema acricula (Hedley, 1922) rare (+) uncommon (+ +) fused beads per whorl, often forming irregular lon- Eucithara angiostoma (Pease, 1868) rare (+) uncommon (++) gitudinal rows similar to kernels in an ear of com Eucithara pusilla (Pease, 1860) uncommon (++) (maize). Range includes Japan, Guam and Hawaii. Lienardia apiculata (Montrouzier, 1864) common (+++) uncommon (+ +) Lienardia balteata (Pease, 1860) common (+++) rare (+) Triphora peasi (Jousseaume, 1884), Family Lienardia fenestrata (Melvill, 1898) uncommon (+ + ) uncommon (++) Triphoridae, Subfamily Triphorinae, is dredged in Lienardia luteD (Pease, 1860) rare (+) rare (+) deeperwater. The protoconchis large, inflated cent- Lienardia mighelsi (Iredale and Tomlin, 1917) uncommon (++) common (+++) rally and usually brown. Sculptured with 3 rows of Lienardia (?) (Unknown #3) uncommon (++) raised nodes per whorl. Siphonal canal is tiny and Macteola segesta (Chenu, 1850) common (+++) common (+++) only slightly recurved. Range Indo-Pacific. Paramontana exi/is (Pease, 1860) uncommon (++) uncommon (++) Subfamily Daphnellinae Cautor similis (Pease,1871). Family Triphoridae, DaphneUa interrupta (Pease, 1860) uncommon (++) uncommon (+ +) Subfamily Mastoniinae.Common in beach drift, the DaphneUa ornata (Hinds, 1844) uncommon (++) uncommon (+ +) species lives under coral heads in silt. Variable in Kermia aniani (Kay, 1979) common (+++) common (+++) color and pattern, with a conical protoconch. Three Kermia bifasciata (Pease, 1860) rare (+) uncommon (++) rows of distinct granules. Siphonal canal very short. Kermia brunnea (Pease, 1860) uncommon (++) uncommon (+ +) It rllllges from Papua New Guinea to Hawaii. Kermia daedalea (Garrett, 1873) rare (+) rare (+) Kermia melanoxytum Hervier, 1985) uncommon (+ +) uncommon (+ +) lniforis ordinata Laseron, 1958. Family Kermia producta (Pease, 1860) uncommon (+ +) uncommon (++) Triphoridae, Subfamily Iniforinae. Dredgedin deeper water,this very slender shell has 2 rows of fused Kermia pumila (Mighels, 1845) common (++;t) common (+++) angular nodes per whorl. The subsutural row is Kermia (?) sr. (Unknown #2) uncommon (+ +) uncommon (++) always the smaller. Often confused with the larger, Microdaphne trichodes (Dall, 1919) uncommon (++) uncommon (++') more inflated lniforis hinuhinu Kay, 1979. Both anterior and posterior siphonal canals are well de- (Cont'd from Page 1) veloped, giving the shell a homed appearance. 1/16 inch (lOmm, 6mm, 2mm) pore sizes. Occa- axial ribs cut into large nodules by a spiral groove, Indo-Pacific. sionally we collect a terebrid or olive in the upper similar to the sculpture of C. minutissima and C. screen, but the micromollusks we are after will be papiUosa (Garrett, 1873). The sinus is subsutural, Triphora tessellata (Kosuge, 1963). Family found in the lower two screens. Once the sand is V-shape, and has a large callus. This shell is com- Triphoridae, Subfamily Triphorinae. Found in beach dried, the searching under stereo microscopesbe- mon at both Puhi Bay and PuakoBay. drift and down to 60 fathoms. With an acuminate gins. The second new microturrid (Fig. 3) has a brown protoconch, the shell is sculptured with 3 The shells of the microturrids, triphorids, and checker-board pattern. The reverse L-shape sinus rows of distinct beads per whorl. Center row is epitoniids are immediately attractive becauseof their and cancellate sculpture are characteristic of the smallest. Siphonal canal is short. Shells fade to variety of color and body sculpture and becauseof Daphnellinae.It appearsto fit the characteristicsof white with brown streaks. Indo-Pacific. the numbers of species which can be found. We the genusKermia. have collected enough samples to feel confident The shell is slender, fusiform, and 3.9mm long Note: The majority of triphorids are sinistral, about reporting the relative distribution of the spe- by 1.3mm wide. The protoconch consists of two being membersof the only family amongthe marine cies which are representativeof these two areasand and one-half straw-color whorls, the abapical whorl gastropodsto exhibit this characteristicconsistently. to picture someprospective new species.This article having axial riblets. The teleoconch is of five Most shells are tiny - 2.5 to 5mrn. The family is covers the microturrids; other groups will be pre- whorls with axial ribs crossed by spiral rounded large - with perhaps500 speciesworldwide - and sentedsubsequently. cords. The shell is white to buff with dark brown shells are extremely difficult to identify due to the The table above lists the relative abundanceof the pigment deposited on the cords between axial ribs scarcity of published material. A complete proto- various microturrids in Puhi Bay, and Puako Bay. giving the checkeredpattern. conch and outer lip generally are necessaryfor accu- For specieslisted as abundant, we would expect to The shell resemblesKermia aniani (Kay, 1979) rate identification. find more than 50 specimens per two-pound tin (Fig. 4) in shapeand sculpture, but is slightly shor- Richard Salisbury (2-liter volume) of sifted sediment; if common, 25 ter and thicker and has the distinctive checkerboard to 50 specimens;if uncommon, 5-24; and if rare, pattern. This microturrid is common at both Puhi lessthan 5 specimens. Bay and Puako Bay. may be quite distant from the site of recovery of the Carinapex minutissima (Garrett, 1873) (Fig. 1) The third new turrid is a relatively thick-shelled shell. was by far the most abundant microturrid at both species, with a bulbous, smooth protoconch and On the other hand, some of our samplingsshow sites. One hundred or more specimens could be shiny spiral threadswhich form distinct nodeswhere that certain shells are localized and found in only expectedin a can of sifted sediment. they cross the axial ribs (Fig. 5). The aperture is one sample within a particular bay and rarely seen Kermia aniani (Kay, 1979),K. pumila (Mighels, narrow with a V-shape sinus. The outer lip has a in other samplesfrom the same bay. In these cases 1845), Lovellona peaseana (Finlay, 1927), and varix and is denticulate within, similar to members we may be able to zero in on particular habitats or Macteola segesta(Chenu, 1850) also were common. of the genus Lienardia within the subfamily Man- host organisms. In all, 27 out of the 45 microturrid speciesdescribed geliinae. The 4.5 x 2.0mm shell is light, yellowish We are keeping records on the dates of our col- in Kay's monographhave been found. brown. It has been found only at Puako Bay where lections, but long-term studies are required before In addition to the above, three microturrid shells it is uncommon. we can assessseasonal variations in populations. representnew records for the Hawaiian Islands and Our identification of these three species is pre- Furthermore, changes in sampling sites, sampling possibly new species.The first appearsto belong in liminary. We plan to follow up on their complete techniques, and the influence of recent storms and the subfamily Clavinae and the genus Carinapex. identification in the near future. wave action are all variables to be considered. This shell (Fig. 2) resemblesC. minutissima but is Even though we have looked through a large Hopefully, our collections will not only provide a larger (4.0 x 1.5mm versus 3.0 x 1.0mm), has a amount of sediment, there is still much to be record of the presenceof the various micromollusc darker, chocolate-brown color in fresh specimens, learned about the populations of micromolluscs at species around the Big Island but also will even- and has a broad white band on the last whorl. The selected sites. Some 99.5% of the shells we have tually lead to a greaterunderstanding of habitatsand surface of the shell is smooth and glossy with the found are empty; the habitat of the living roles in the ecology of the reef.

Page 8 HAWAIIAN SHELL NEWS March. 1985

SHELLS FOR SALE

MELBOURNE, FL - A U.S. Post Office will OSTINI MAURIZIO- C.P. 42-00055 LADISPOLI RM -ITALY ] be set up at the Astronaut Trail Shell Show in the GUIDA ALLE CONCHIGLIE MEDI- ; ~-=:::f'::' TERRANEE - in Italian only More than Melbourne Civic Auditorium on March 30 and 31 SOOspecies with full colour photograph by Dr. R. Tucker Abbott to feature the first-day plus a parcel of dredged material contain- ing hundreds of shells that you will enjoy covers of the first United States shell stamps. Al- classifying using the book, some gift LANosHAiLS shells and our price list of Mediterranean though shell stamps are issued by many nations, :::::~:_-~ shells illustrated in the book, all for US theseare the first for the United States. :';~:;~:::~","' $39 including mail expenses. I I::;' ~ ~ ~ LAND SNAILS OF BRITAIN AND A week-long "shell-a-bration" has been proc- -- ~ "@, i, NORTH-WEST EUROPE - in English. laimed by Mayor Harry C. Goode, Jr. of Melbourne "' 4~- "'\ 649illustratK>n,408 in colour, 392distribu- 15 ~ - tK>nmaps, plus species of land snails to from March 24 to 30. The mayor will open the shell Boston's First-Day Cover ,; ~ start your collectK>n,and price list. All for show on Saturday,March 30. U"S $26 including mailing. Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard Wr~e for free price list We also handle Red Sea shells that The Caribbeantheme for the shell show will be we collect in Ethiopia We keep our customers informed University, Cambridge as the site of the First Day carried out with pink conchs, conch fritters, concerninQ new findinos and arrivals every 15 davs of Issue ceremony. The museumhouses the world's Bahamanianfood and dancersat the banquet, and a fourth largest collection of fresh and saltwater special one-time award for the best Caribbeanex- shells, as well as the Boston Malacological Club. .. '1305N. H!~I~ S~ p§r~A 90731 hibit. The club is offering a professionally prepared ~ (213) 831-1694- 7 days. 1 Special scientific exhibits in the foyer on marine first-day cover cachet envelope with all five of the When in Los Angeles Harbor visit i researchare planned by the Harbor Branch Founda- the largest and most complete new shell stamps, cancelled on the first day of ,- museumlike shell shop in California. tion, the Rorida Institute of Technology, and the - issue, for $5 each. Sales of the special cover will SDecimens-imDorter - No lists Brevard Museum. Hourly slide shows, craft demon- benefit the club and the William J. Clench Schol- strationsand talks will be presented. arship Fund. Judges for the show will be Dr. Harry Lee of Interestingly, the new stamps bear no denomina- Jacksonville, Charles and Violet Hertweck of Ven- tion. The design was unveiled before the new postal ice, and SharonSnyder of Orlando. rate increase was announced.They will sell, how- Dealers and exhibitors from all parts of the ever, for 22 cents, the new first-class mail rate to go United Stateshave been invited to join the shell-a- into effect in mid-February. bration. There will be something for everyone and Orders for the covers can be sent to Nieburger at every interest. P.o. Box 3095, Andover, MA 01810. S.L. PHilliP W. CLOVER An early morning field trip to the Port Canaveral ~ Conchologist ~ P. O. Box 339 scallopdump will be led by Jim Cordy. Glen Ellen, CA 95442 Bobbi Cordy PERSONAL ADS Dealing in worldwide seashells since 1960. Spe- cializing in /atiaxis, murex, morum, marginella, mitra, conus, cypraea, va/uta, cancellaria and Meanwhile, at Boston Wanted: Copy of Shell Collecting, An Illus- mrt-of-nrinl sea shell books. Free price lists Despite the foregoing, the Boston Malacological trated History by Peter Dance. Pleasesend info on condition and price to: D. M. Fagen, 4158 El Bos- Club appearsto be first in presentingthe new U.S. A. J. GABELISH que Dr., PebbleBeach, CA 93953. shell stamps. The group offers first-day covers, P. O. Box 54 * * * Wembley 6014 probably availableon March 14. For sale or trade: Hawaiian endemics including West Australia "The date is significant becauseit marks the 75th Cypraea gaskoini, C. mauiensis, and C. tesseUata. Wholesale Dealer in West anniversary of the founding of the Boston Mala- S. Jazwinski, 777 Kapiolani Blvd. #3313, Ho- Australian Specimen Shells cological Club, one of the oldest shell clubs in the nolulu, Hawaii 96813. Write for List world," says a messagefrom Edward Nieburger, * * * chairmanof the shell stampcommittee of the BMC. Have 3 shell cabinets for sale at $150 each. Must DARYL E. FOOTE pick-up Chicago area. Ken White, phone (312) "We feel that stamp collectors will find these 100 E. First St. 272-6805. stamp issues a 'natural' acquisition, and that shell P. O. Box 86424 * * * North Vancouver, B.C. collectors will acquire them as renderings of the Use HSN Personal Ads. Three dollars per 25 Canada V7L 4K6 treasuresthey possessor are still seeking." words, plus name and address. Dealers please use WESTERN CANADIAN SHEllS Actually, the U.S. Postal Service chose the displays ads. One time only! Free specimenshell list

I TOM SHEPHERD Dealer in Marine Specimen Shells. Buy Sell Exchange 2222 Beech Street Virginia Beach, Va. 23451

COWRIES FOR SALE 180 species Ask for your wants and for free lists. JONS GRATZ Achenbachstr.40 4 Duesseldorf, Fed. Rep. of Germany March, 1985 HAWAIIAN SHELL NEWS Page 9 in

By RUTH HERMANN* (which we visited later). Dr. McLean's specimens "Wild Paradise" well expressesthe characterof were all from water one to eight feet deep as he did the Maldive Islands. The islets and cays remind one not scubadive. of white-edged green pin cushions amid their tur- John Pearsonof Lester, PA led in collecting rare quoise lagoons, surroundedby white surf and set off shells in the Maldives. Working along a passage by a deep blue sea. through the reef, he looked at more than 100 live Male, the capital of this 764-kilometer-long Lambis chiragra to find three L.c. arthritica, the archipelagoof 1,800 coral islands and reefs, straddl- black throatedspider shell. ing the Equator near the center of the Indian Ocean, is 670km southwestof Sri Lanka. Most islands of Following our return home, Pearsondescribed his the Maldives, we discovered, are not open to visi- three specimensthis way: tors without special permits. Olhuveli was an excep- "They range in size, 6, 8 and 9'h. inches. . . all tion. were found in sand in 5 (to) 10 feet of water. . . My visit to the Maldives last year was part of a with plenty of nutrient flow. All have six 'fingers' tour led by Dr. Joel Greene of San Francisco. Se- venteenshellers from various U.S. states, plus two and from the top look like any Lambis chiragra. non-collectorsfrom Canada,participated. "The interior bottom has an aperture which is We gathered for the first time at Colombo, Sri very melanistic. . . Blotches of brown, black and Lanka in March. From there we flew to Male fora Photos: Hermann white appearat the outer edgesof the aperture.The final 26-mile boat ride to Olhuveli Resort. Olhuveli Island from the lagoon eight-inch specimenhas a pinkish violet color run- A primitive-looking 30-foot launch with a crude ning through the entire aperture, giving highlight to tiller crafted from a tree branch was awaiting us at the blackish interior." the Male airport waterfront. Three boatmenin color- He concluded by saying that the exteriors were ful sarongs and shirtlike jackets were standing clean of foreign growth, but that they had a typical guard. periostracum. No other member of the party re- As our luggage filled the cabin, all of us perched ported having collected L. chiragra arthritica. upon the rough, hard cabin roof (fortunately there was an awning overhead)for the three-hourride. At Pearson's "most interesting find" was a I6-inch times it was rough, but I was fascinated by the Lambis truncata which he discoveredwhile inspect- Indian Ocean's strangeindigo water, deep with pur- ing the approximately 100 L. chiragra in the reef channel. It was four inches longer than the speci- ple. Finally ashore at Olhuveli, we trudged under the mens he had collected previously in Micronesia. hot midday sun over coral rock and deep sand to This giant of the giant spider conchs takes its place our accommodations.(There is no better time than among the major finds of our trip. now to mention that water is scarce throughout the Alma and Luke Paquette of Saanechton, BC, Maldives.) Olhuveli turned out to be fairly small, a non-shellers,had been persuadedby their friends, Jo characteristicof all the Maldive islands. About half and Bill Norstrom of Enumclaw, WA, to accom- a mile long and at its widest a fourth of a mile, it is pany them on this trip. Stimulated by finding live surrounded by a lagoon. The barrier reef, half a Strombus lentiginosus, Conus betulin us, C. ebur- mile out from the sandy beach of the island proper, Reus, Terebra maculata, T. subulata and T. gut- breaks the ocean waves. We were enchanted by tala, the Paquettesquickly becameenthusiastic shel- Olhuveli, the beauty of the glowing sun.sets,and the The shell group afloat in the Maldives. Left to right: lers. occasionalmassive clouds on the horizon. Joan Stewart, Helen Greeley, Jo Norstrom, Homer Mrs. Joan Caldwell of Sanibel Island considers With Olhuveli as our base, our shelling group Rhode, Ann Rhode, Joel Greene and John Pearson. the CypraecassisTufa which she took while snorkel- spentnearly a week in the Maldives. We were taken ing in two feet of water out from Olhuveli her most by boat to even more out-of-the-way unnamed and exciting find. It was in a rubble area, "just showing unpopulatedislets, often 12 or 14 miles away. Some its orange-tonedknobs abovethe sand." provided good shelling, although we had to work "I also pulled a Conus striatus (on Sri Lanka),.. hard to acquire specimen shells. Nevertheless,we she wrote me. "It was a wonderful find, but I did were successful. not feel the excitementof finding that one that I did Pat and Fred Renz of Sanibel, FL, while reef with the Tufa. My cutest find. . . was an Hydatina walking and snorkeling, gatheredConus miles, C. amplustre." betulinus, C. eburneus, C. tessulatus,C. arenatus, Sheestimated her list of speciestotaled 150. C. chaldeus, C. ebraeus, C. quercinus, Cypraea Our other members were Mrs. Helen Greeley of arabica, Lambis lambis, L. chiragra, Strombus Kent, W A, Ann and Homer Rhode of Big Pine lentiginosus, S. gibberulus, S. decorus, Vasum Keys, FL, Mrs. Marjorie Wing of Sun City, AZ, turbinellum, V. tubiferum, Terebra maculata, T. and Mrs. Lucy Hall of Charlotte, NC. subulata, Mitra mitra, Oliva annulata, Latirus Victor, my husband,whose hobbies are tape rec- polygonus, Drupa marum, Bulla ampulla, Tectus ording and photography,kept a diary of the trip and pyramis, Cerithium nodulosum, Ritena plicata, made record shots. Out before dawn, he interspersed Cantharus undosus, distortus, Morula the data on tape with bird calls and the sounds of cavernosa, Codakia punctata, Tridacna maxima the sea and shoreactivities. Being first on the beach and Trachycardium rubicundum, plus a few un- in the morning, he usually returned with a surprise. identified shells - a total of 78 species! Once it was a Terebra maculata. Dr. JamesH. McLean, Curator of Malacology at A reef walker myself, I was surprisedthat I found the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum, as many live shells as I did. Reefs suitable for and two volunteer workers, Mrs. Edith Abbott and walking were scarce and the tides were not very Mrs. Joan Sherman, members of our party, spe- cooperative.Nevertheless, I self-collected54 differ- cialized in marine micromolluscs. They obviously ent species (some were found subsequentlyin Sri were successful. Edith Abbott wrote me months Lanka), not counting shells I purchasedfrom boat- men and divers. later that she was still sorting. While on Olhuveli, incidentally, I purchasedan The three had collected about 250 micro specie unusualConus specimen. It was a fresh shell with from five stations in the Maldives and Sri Lanka periostracum still intact. It somewhat resembles Conus nussatella. It has not been identified by our One and a Half Degree Channel San Franciscoexperts and does not appearin any of .P. O. Box 202, San Mateo, CA 94401 my shell books. Have I anothernew species? 'age 10 HAWAIIAN SHELL NEWS March. 1985

NEWS OF NEW SPECIES

By WALTER SAGE Writing in Infonnations de Ia Societe BeIge de Malacologie 12(2-3):127-130, July 1984, HMS member Roland Houart describes Poirieria (Pazinotus) philcloveri, (Muricidae), to 13.6mm in length, from Mindanao, Philippines. The shell is elongate-fusiform with two glossy nuclear whorls and five angulate postnuclear whorls. Body whorl has five to six sharp varices with a slightly longer shoulderspine, and inner side of outer lip are denticulate, and aperture small, ovate, white. Sculpture consists of spiral cords and threads cros- sed by numerous axial growth lamellae. Color is Poirieria philcloveri light brown with darker brown on the shoulder and the lower part of the body whorl. new taxon is said to have the same conchological INTERNATIONAL SPECIMEN SUPPLY This new speciesis comparedto P. (P.) falcati- characters as typical O. mustelina, but to have a P. O. Box 1066-H,Goleta, CA 93116,U.S.A. formis (Thiele, 1925) from the Indian Ocean, and very pale brown color rather than the zigzag brown P.(P.) smithi (Schepman. 1911) from the Philip- patterns of the typical O. mustelina. Readers are Quality global shells and insects by mail order. pines. They differ in size, sculpture, and details of reminded that this name lambel1i, since it was de- Wholesale or retail price list subscriptions (12 is- varices and aperture.Pterochelus dondani Kosuge. scribed as a new form, was not validly proposed as sues) available. $5 (U.S.) or $10.00 (Foreign). 1984, also from the Philippines, appearsto be simi- a species under the International Code on Zoological S.A.S.E. inquiries and/or quote requests invited. lar, but has only three varices comparedto five to Nomenclature. six in P.(P.) philcloveri. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 10(3), November 1983. In a review of New Zealandspecies of Seguenziidae, In Informations de la Societe BeIge de Marshall describesfive new genera, five new fossil and 17 Malacologie 11(4):180-189, June 1983, Jan Elsen new recent species.These archaeogastropodsare small (2 to describedConus poppei (Conidae), to 25.3mm in 22mm) members of the deep-water fauna, of which few length, from Boavista, Cape Verde Islands. The species occur in less than 300 meters, and there are no shell is ovate-conical, with a short convex intertidal representatives.As these speciesare less likely to sculpturedwith two to five faint spiral ridges, and a be available to collectors, and in view of the large number rounded shoulder. The body whorl is slightly con- of new taxa here introduced, we have chosen just to list new genera and their type species, new fossil species(as- vex to straight-sided, covered with very fine spiral terisked), and new Recent species, both with type locality striae and several weak spiral ridges, which may be and maximum height. It should be noted that many species MANUEL 0 MONTILLA inconspicuousat the base. The ground color is yel- are wider than high. 59 Maria Clara lowish to white, overlaid with fine chocolatebrown SeguenziaglabeUa**, 2.65mm, near mouth of Waioha Quezon City 3008 ...;.:..; Philippines spiral lines. Stream ~ This new species is stated to be closest to C. S. serrata**, 2.85mm, below Eason Hill, Greymouth Dea/er of quality Philippines Spec/men Shells Black Cora/Bangles, Chokers, crotchii Reeve, 1849, but the differencesmentioned S. prisca**, 1.70mm, PakaurangiPoint, Kaipara Necklaces Blue & Red Coral Choke.., Necklaces, Bangles Shell Choke.., would seem to be only of infraspecific value. S. conopia, 3.60mm, TasmanBasin Necklaces, Bongles Shell Pili Box, Lamp Shades, Paper Weight S. fulgida, 6.IOmm, TasmanBasin Kapiz Coaste.., Placemats, Napkin Holde.. Houart (personalcommunication, August IS, 1984) S. chelina, 3.OOmm,Tasman Basin Shell Pictures regards C. poppei as a synonym of C. crotchii S. transenna, 3.IOmm, TasmanBasin Reeve, 1849. After examining Reeve's illustration S. textilis, 3.55mm, TasmanBasin THOMAS HONKER of C. crotchii (Conchologia Iconica, vol. I, S. compta, 6.5Omm,Bounty Trough supplementplate 6, species254), this writer is in- Seguenziella, new genus - type speciesS. patula, P. O. Box 1011 - 25 N.E. 10th Street 5.65mm, Tasmanbasin Delray Beach, Florida 33444 clined to agreewith Houart's evaluation. Seguenziopsis, new genus - type species S. Phone: (305) 276-9658 [Subsequentto publication of Elsen.s description in June Dealer in finest quality worldwide specimen shells for the dis- 1983, Elsen and R. G. Moolenbeek of the Amsterdam bicorona, 2. IOmm, 3 Kings Island Carenzia venusta, 2.60mm, TasmanBasin criminating collector. Caribbean specialist Extensive stock both Zoological Museum did a further study (Informations, C. fastigiata, 3.35mm, TasmanBasin marine and land, uncommon to rare Your want lists and inquires 12(4):135-138,Oct. 1984) that acceptedC. poppei as a Thelyssina, new genus - type species T. sterrha, invited Send for Free Price List. iunior synonymofC. crotchii Reeye.Ed, HSN ] 3.05mm, Three Kings Island HMS-ISGS Fluxinella new genus - type species F. lepida, Yoshiba and Koyama, in Venus 43(2):115-123, 2.75mm, TasmanBasin WORLDWIDE SPECIMEN SHELLS July 1984, describeConus hamamotoi (Conidae), to F. lenticulosa, 2.30mm, eastof the Aldermen Islands F. maxweUi**, 1.15mm, Pakaurangi Point, Kaipara --- 23mm in length, from WakayamaPrefecture, Japan. : Connection/ "' The shell is ovate.conical and light weight, with a Harbour Ancistrobasis dilecta, 1.95mm, KermadecIslands oJ Select Quality Specimens.-' ~ slightly elevated spire of 2'14whorls, and eight to A. regina, 1.70mm, Three Kings Islands nine postnuclear whorls. The shoulder is promi- CaUiobasis, new genus - type C. bombax (Cotton & , 'Knowledgeable &: Courteous ServlCe-r nently coronated; body whorl is broadest at the Godrey, 1938) Write for FreeIllustrated List I shoulder,tapering to the base. Sculpture consistsof C. eos**, 3.I5mm, Trig M, Totara, North Otago Richard Goldbt:rg IWiJrldwide Specimen Shell.. several spiral cords on the lower part of the body C. miranda, 2.00mm, KermadecIslands , .1/365.U.S. whorl, crossed by finer axial threads. Background C. chlorosa, 2.3Omm,Norfolk Islands color is rosy pink with white blotches on spire, shoulder coronations and at the anterior end, and with a band of white blotches at midbody. Two to three spiral rows of distinct brown dots occur on the white midbody band. The color pattern of rosy pink, white, and brown dots and the coronated shoulder are the characters that are stated to distinguish this new speciesfrom C. nadaensis Azuma and Toki, C. coccineus Gme- lin, C. cardinalis Hwass, C. diadema Sowerby, C. bartschi Hanna and Strong, C. brunneus Wood, and C. balteatus Sowerby.

In an article in the Bulletin of Malacology Re- public of China 10:7-8, 1984, Bert describesOliva mustelina forma nov. lamberti (Olividae), to 34mm, from the southwest coast of Taiwan. This March, 1985 HAWAIIAN SHELL NEWS Page 11

Patronize HSN Advertisers Those Mystery Miters Specimen quality Florida tree snails, RECENT FINDS Liguus fasciatus, and sets of Cuban By LYMAN HIGA Polymita. No dealers. Write for free lists. Archie Jones John McFarlane, a reformed collector now living 8025 SW 62nd Court, Miami, FL 33143 in North Carolina, visited his old haunts in Hawaii oYer the Christmas-New Year holiday and - to show he hadn't lost his old touch - picked up a

10.74cmStrombus hawaiiensis while diving in the """""'""""""""""""'~C~~'""""""""""""~"""~-,- "General Store" area on the south shore of Kauai. M. espinosai (top) and M. barbadensis. It apparentlyconstitutes a new world record. Photo: Salisbury The previously largest specimen on record - By RICHARD SALISBURY 10.58cm - is held by Andy Butler of Honolulu. It contains: Specialized cowries catalogue, Thanks to infonnation from HMS members John The new shell was crabbedwhen found but is in Specialized Mediterranean catalogue, and 200 Finlay of Rorida and Bruce Crystal of Colorado. 1 offers of rarest world shells. All in colour (24 excellent condition except for the loss of the tip of am convinced that the Caribbean Mitra (Nebularia) pages). Sample copy (air) 4$. Annual subscr, (by its spire. Intact, it would have been 4 or 5mm espinosai Sarasua, 1978 and M. (N.) barbadensis air) 24.00. (Gmelin) are distinct species (see HSN Dec. 1984). longer. 1 had suspected that they were conspecific. GEMME del MARE S.R.L. * * * "I most emphatically do not agree that (M. es- P. O. BOX 561 Tom Jamesis owner/skipperof the 32-foot cutter pinosai) might be the young of M. barbadensis," (00187) ROMA (ITALY) Tashtego. cruising the Western Pacific and building Finlay wrote me. ". . . the shape and sculpture of Cable: SEAGEMSROMA Ph: (39-6) SO.30.744 his shell collection as he goes. As of early Feb- barbadensis are quite different." ruary, Tashtego was an.chored in the lagoon of To illustrate his point, Finlay sent me fine exam- Puluwat Atoll in the Caroline Islands. ples of both species (above). In a "ham" radio conversationwith HMS mem- Crystal also sent along two live-collected M. ber Odie Howe of Honolulu, James reported the espinosai, preserved, ready for dissection. recent acquisition of two golden cowries. The first "All the dozens of M. barbadensis 1 have col- was found in October 1984 by Simon Choffat on tbe lected, dead or alive, (are) identical to the naked outer reef of Puluwat. The shell was alive under eye. They differ only in size," he assured me. coral in about 10 feet of water, Choffat reported, With the actual shells in hand, 1 can clearly see and it measured3% inches. the differences in the two species.M. barbadensis The second shell, crabbedbut in good condition, has a much more acuminate spire, the shell is was on sand in about a meter of water, within the smoother, and dark brown with a few white spots. Puluwat lagoon. It was found by Libukun Newo. The aperture is longer and brown within, and the When in Los Angeles visit Puluwat is a seldom-visitedatoll about 400 miles shell is streakedwith white blotches. Also the col- west of Truk. umella folds are more prominent. * * * Deep Water Mitrid On his visit to Isla de Cocos, off Costa Rica, last Obfelden, Switzerland year aboard the Swedish-built 85-foot gaff schooner With referenceto that "Deep Water Mitrid From Victoria af Carlshad, HMS member Gene Everson the Philippines" (HSN Jan. 1985), although no di- of Rorida found a number of Indo-Pacific species mensions are given the shell almost certainly is a FINE SHELLS AND FINE ART not previously reported from the PanamicProvince. juvenile specimenof the slender and closely ribbed We do not publish a list but we will answer Among his reported finds were Philippia radiata, fOnD of VexiUum (Costellaria) exasperatum(Gme- a sundial whose only known previous Eastern specific requests for Rare Shells - our spe- lin, 1791). Pacific find was a dead specimen from Ecuador, 1 have in my collection several specimensof that cialty. Mitra papalis (previously reported from Clipperton fOnD from near Cairns, Northern Queensland(leg. s,.", ""., "",',"' " HMS'SGS Island), and a dead Cypraea alisonae Burgess, a B. Collins). 22762 Pacific Coast Highway speciesrecently separatedfrom C. teres. Walter O. Cernohorsky has illustrated a very Malibu, California 90265 Everson also reported an as-yet-undescribed similar fonD in Bulletin of the Auckland Institute Trachypollia sp., found in sand at 50 feet, and an and Museum (No.8, 1970, p.83, pl.9, fig.5) from unnamedCoralliophila sp. Ryukyu, southern Japan. A definite identification Among other species found for the first time at should be possible by comparing Roger Martin's For shelling Cocos were Mitra mitra, Natica elenae, Glycymeris specimenfrom off Bohol with the relevant variants of exasperatum. Colour pattern and sculpture of on SANIBEL strigilata, Bursa caelata, Mitra effusa, Cypraea caputserpentis, Morula uva, Conus chaldeus, Martin's specimen do not coincide with V. (C.) visit. . . IVi Spondylus nicobaricus and Bursa granularis. diutenerum (Hervier, 1897). K.M. Dr. Hans Turner

one of the largest selections of outstanding specimen shells to be found anywhere! Com- ~ plete stocks of Cypraea, Conus, Murex, Pec- EDWr£RD T. SURE'~' ~Il\IG tens, Miters, etc. for the beginning as well as the most advanced discriminating collector. SAnti tnr FRFF Pri~A I i~1 Worldwide Specimen Shells BUY SELL TRADE " Marine Freshwater Fossils I.S.G.S. Standards ~al de ~er=> tHterpri.,e., Personalized Service p o. Box 482 Free Monthly Price List West Hempstead. NY 11552. USA -;;:-;c;-, Outstanding quality and personal service on . "-' Shelling with Schelling ~ worldwide specimenshells Rarrtiesare our spe- Murex ~ ciaity Freeprice list on request phylloplerus~ Tel. (516) 481-0456 P. O. Box 68 Shalimar,Florida 32579 U.S.A. (904) 244-5646 Page 12 HAWAIIAN SHELL NEWS March, 1985 Can You Believe Marine Invertebrate Masquerade Collection Dates? By ART WElL CINCINNATI - One of the many nice things about Dr. Eva Pip is that she can get her whole name on the license plate of her car. And she has raised some interesting questionsabout the contents and inadequaciesof the data slips that accompanyso many shell specimens today (see "Put the Date Back in Data," HSN Dec. 1984). I must warn her, however, that when sM'eopens that can of worms labeled' 'data," someone is going to go fishing. For instance, I have a Pecten davisoni live collected - according to its data slip - in the Bering Sea in 1847. Not only is the date wildly unlikely, but the specimenitself consists of I,~, two right-handhalves! Never in my life have I bought a shell that didn't purport to have full data. Yet, if I had to estimate, I'd say that only about 20 percentof the information is authentic. This inadequacy,it seemsto me, is generatedin three areas.First, the dealer. He knows he can't sell a specimenshell without data. He also knows that '-"_.CC_-,-_.i"~ no one can check on the authenticity of the informa- Photo: Schoenberg tion he supplies. It takes great honesty or an utter Sertularia sp. indifferenceto profit and loss to admit to a potential By DOROTHY WENDT In time the interesting masqueradersdisappeared customer that you don't know the real history of a from the flower shops. Florists professedto be puz- Wouldn't it be a surprise to discover marine in- zled when asked about the evergreenlacy fern that valuableshell. vertebratesin a wedding bouquet?Or to realize that didn't need to be watered. After a three-week Second, the people from whom the dealer buys. those lovely little plants you bought at Woolworth's search, however, I found two neatly packaged, They also know that shells accompaniedby little for table decorations were actually com- nicely labeled bunches. The English company that had distributed the Air Ferns had becomeeducated. piecesof paper sell faster and for more money. Any monly found growing on wooden boat bottoms? Well, it happenedto some of us, and it just goes The ferns now were properly labeled as Sel1uIaria, out-island fisherman quickly learns to have lots of to show that things aren't always what they seemto a marine animal. And the price was $2.50! paper handy on which he can write logical - if.not be. In climates colder that we have in Hawaii, these necessarilyaccurate - data at his leisure. Several years ago a lovely delicate bright-green animal colonies grow to be six to eight inches tall. plant called an Air Fern appearedin some Honolulu Here - and presumablyother lands with compara- ble water temperatures- they range from two to Third, the individual collector. I am typical, I flower shops and variety stores. The lacy fronds were used in corsagesand table arrangements.The three inches. Although the Sel1ularia possessthe suspect. I recently spent a day diving off Cedar 29-cent bunchesbecame familiar home decorations. stinging cells or nematocystscharacteristic of the Key, FL. Everything I picked up went into a bucket Two selling points were irresistible: the plants Phylum Cnidaria (Coelenterata)to which they be- in the boat. Any notating I did was done on shore needed neither food nor drink, and the price was long, they are not known to cause the usual pain right! and skin rash. later, over a beer. All I could put down with confi- A high school marine science teacher on a lei- One Sel1uIaria sp. is quite easy to spot on the dence in most caseswas somethinglike: "off Cedar' surely shoppingtour, however, noticed a green stain hulls of woodenyachts, although less easyto see on Key, FL. August 1984." on the handsof the saleslady,Closer examinationof rocks. Becauseof their size, they often are mistaken the Air Fern revealedthe fronds all had been cut off for seaweed. Who is going to take time to keep a bunch of and were held together by a rubber band. Not Clumps of Sel1uIaria will survive for a time in a noteswhen he could be looking for more shells? exactly what you would expect of a live plant. home aquarium. What appears to be a small ar- Of course, many of us take refuge in the thought: Then, too, there was a remarkable similarity in thropod predator, however, is capable of polishing what difference does it make, anyhow? We are not the structure of the fern and a group of Coelenter- them off overnight. ates the teacher had been showing in class. In Hawaii, we have a somewhatsirnilar hydroid scientists, but collectors of just plain pretty shells. You guessedit! A piece of "air fern" dyed the that should be avoided. They are not difficult to Who is ever going to look critically at the data water green when dropped into a pan, and took on a distinguish. Halocordyle disticha is taller than the slips? If that little piece of paper makes us feel familiar honey-brown color. Examination with a Sel1uIaria, and it is less delicate in appearance. low-power microscope revealed the typical branch- Also, it has dark brown-to-black "stems" and the better about gatheringGod's creaturesfor display in ing structure of a colonial animal closely related to individual animals are "naked,"that is, they are not our den, why knock it? the anemonesand corals! protected by the horny cuplike structure that Ser- A quick thumbing through Libbie Hyman's The tuloria animals occupy. I do hope I am wrong about those little squibs Invertebrata (vol. I) identified it as a member of Halocordyle disticha is probably better known as stuck in the aperturesof my shells. I will continue the Family Sertularidae.The rationale of the tag on Pennaria,a name that no longer is recognized.What the plant, "Requires no water or food," was clear. is important is that these animals possessa powerful to treasurethem. When I trade the shell someday, I Now, you might think this would be the end of venom. Brushing against a colony can result in a want to be able to say honestly, "That's the data the story, but not so. Once Hawaii's marine-science severe burning sensation that is likely to persist. that came with the shell." teacherswere alerted to the subterfuge, bunchesof Seek medical advice. the pseudoplant popped up in classrooms. They We all know people who ignore such warnings In other words, Dr. Pip, the collection date on a were particularly useful in the traditional opening with impunity. But their immunity to the venom can data slip should be regarded much as a gentleman day "Animal, Vegetable or Mineral?" game de- wear off and, when it does, the reaction is usually irreversible, even getting more severewith each ex- does a report on a lady's age - with respect but signed to get natural science studentsthinking. ParentsNight visitors reactedjust like the pupils posure. subjectto confmnation. - No! Impossible! Aha! So be careful.

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