|
|
Distrosioanus
THREE NEW COWRIES
In the October 1965 issue of The Nautilus (Vol. 79, No. 2) C. M. Burgess has published two new cowries, called Cypraea
cohenae and C. cassiaui.
The former species is a further member of the South African Cypraeovula (subgenus Luponia) which split up in many species
possibly because they live on the southern border of the area inhabitable by cowries, as the South Australian genera Zoila
and Notocypraea do also. cohenae shows a closely freckled smooth dorsum. The outer lip recalls fuscorubra in dentition, while
the inner lip is almost toothless as in edentula. Photos - Trostel --- Not To Scale
Figs. 4, 5:
Erosaria englerti Summers & Burgess, 1965
from Easter Island. Length: 24.4 mm.
The second species is closely allied to the Philippine Nuclearia granulata, but differs in color (dorsum deep rose-purple,
base light orange brown) and in the deep smooth dorsal sulcus; I think, however, cassiaui to be an extra-Philippine
subspecies only, as the eleven known shells came from the Marquesas Islands, from Flint Is. and Starbuck Is.
In the same issue of The Nautilus, Ray Summers and C. M. Burgess established Cypraea englerti, the second cowry species known
from the Easter Island. According to the characters of a third shell sent me by Summers for examination it is really a new
species. The structural characters of the faded beach shell figured above (24.4 mm long) point to close relationship to
Erosaria poraria, but the color shows the same tendency to become dusky brown as in caputdraconis from the same remote
island.
Recently I received for examination two rather well preserved beach shells which exactly agree with the holotype of
rabaulensis in all essential details. They were collected on the beach at the type locality, Rabaul (New Britain), by Mrs.
Nan Van Eck. Their present owner, Mrs. Myrtle Lee, Maroochydore (Queensland), kindly permitted the publication of the
photograph. The formula (length in mm./ breadth in per cent, number of labial : columellar teeth) of the holotype was
24.1/53, 21:23, that of the new specimens is 20.4/50, 22:24 (figured above) and 23.1/52, 22:23. Therefore the new specimens
are slightly smaller and narrower, but the relative closeness of the teeth is very similar to the holotype of rabaulensis.
The teeth are far less numerous than in the allied species katsuae, martini, and superstes. The two beach shells are rather
bleached, but they distinctly show traces of the four dorsal zones and the lateral spots clearly shown in the holotype.
Mr. W.E. Old Jr. just informed me that the American Museum of Natural History in New York has acquired a fourth rabaulensis.
It is a beach shell of 19.5 mm, and also came from Rabaul!
Undoubtedly further dredging in deep water off Rabaul and careful examination of the small beach cowries will provide still
more specimens of this rare, but no longer unique species.
distrosioanus,shells jewelry,murex huastillum,troca female natural polished,black lip,white clam,conus stratus,m.o.p,trocca,distrosioanus
Distrosioanus puka shell black agate murex torrifactus mitra papales white abalone coral moonshell orange exporter brownlip nasa shell shells components lambis troncata pendants philippines shell component clam raw puka shell sea urchin.
distrosioanus
Shell
Bracelets
|
