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The discovery of a number of Cypraea punctata, variation trizonata, both with and without brown teeth should help to settle
the problem of whether this is a separate species, as some have claimed. It would seem that the Polynesian representation
intergrades in Samoa with typical C. punctata.
Cypraea felina, variation melvilli, was also found increasing the range of this species to Samoa. The same is true of Cypraea
microdon, Cypraea minoridens and Cypraea eglantina. Cypraea argus was represented by one fresh empty specimen, and two old
eroded shells.
Cypraea tigris, usually so common on South Pacific Islands, was rare in Samoa. Mollusks are eaten with relish on Tutuila,
especially the larger top shells and cowries. The reefs are constantly searched by residents with food in mind. This may
account for the rarity of C. tigris.
I found a simple way to encourage the cowries to extend their mantles. A bottle of sea water was kept in the refrigerator and
cowries to be studied were placed in this water which was warmed to about 80 degrees - just so it no longer felt cold. In a
small amount of this stored water which probably lost some oxygen during refrigeration and warming [water accepts more gas,
not less, when it is chilled. See my explanation in NS#206 RCD] the shells put on a good show. The exact character of
mantle, siphon, tentacles and foot could be easily determined with a low power magnifying glass.
The author's recent purchase of a Boston Whaler lent new impetus to the hunt! Now dives could be made specifically for the
Strombus, limited only by time available and sea conditions. A group of areas off of Haleiwa was selected, mainly because of
the repeated findings of fragments and beach shells on adjacent shorelines. on the first dive a beautiful, fresh fragment
(see fig. 2) was discovered on a ledge at 85 feet. Enthusiasm was dampened somewhat by the complete absence of the remainder
of the shell, for this implied that a possible wash in from other areas had occurred. Another possibility was that a hungry
ray could have munched this piece to extract the last morsel of tender meat while swimming an unknown distance. Two
additional stations completed in the immediate area failed to produce any further evidence.
A new North Shore location was selected and produced almost instant and very encouraging results! With the first few breaths
the large fragment (see fig. 1) was found lying upside-down on a sandy shelf. As can be seen, this is a very nearly complete
shell, with only the spire missing. This part was observed lying about in at least a dozen small pieces. The photo does not
reveal how unbelievably thin and fragile this shell is. It is a juvenile specimen that had just secreted the wing-like
extension of the aperture. This big piece surely had not been carried, either by current or a browsing ray, any significant
distance. We were in the Philippine Stromb's back yard! The bottom was different here; unlike the other locations the sand
was deep and silty. From scarcely 15 feet beneath the surface a series of terraces about 20 feet wide stepped rapidly into
great depths. The shell fragment was found on the second terrace level, a depth of about thirty feet. Repeated dives in the
area failed to produce any further results. Perhaps night diving in this prime area would be productive.
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