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Mello
S. nucleus is sometimes described in literature as being uniformly yellowish-brown. Freshly collected specimens, however,
have a contrasting dual color combination: a light yellowish-brown base and a khaki-brown dorsum; specimens from Fiji have a
rather dark dorsal color. This species will on many occasion deviate from its "typical" cylindrical shape and inflated
structure, by being either broadly ovate or cylindrically elongate, and with either a humped or partially depressed dorsum.
The purplish S. nucleus has some analogy with S. granulata cassiaui (Burgess, 1965) from the Marquesas, Starbuck & Flint
Islands (C. cassiaui Burgess, 1965, Nautilus, 79 (2): 38-40, plt. 4). These purplish variants may be effected in a similar
manner as melanistic specimens of cowries from various geographical regions. Color characteristics in Cypraeidae, even if of
a constant nature and confined to a certain portion of the shell, do not necessarily indicate a new biological species. A
population of Erosaria helvola (Linnaeus) from Nukuhiva, Marquesas, shows such a constant color-character: the extremities
are pure white instead of the usual shade of violet (10 specimens seen, leg. D. Boust, 1966).
Pathological causes, environmental factors and feeding habits are known to cause color deviation in other molluscan groups,
and may equally well be responsible for extreme color-deviation in Cypraeidae.
From Rabaul, New Guinea: A native collector wrote to us offering 136 live-collected Cypraea coxeni. From a different source
we received an offer of 200 coxeni. To further the evidence of "slaughter," an American collector passed through Honolulu
recently with over 175 specimens of New Guinea coxeni in his luggage to be used "for trading," so he said.
From Florida, U.S.A.: Fishermen trawlers just sold 230 live-collected Voluta junonia johnstonae and 203 specimens of Voluta
kieneri. The kieneri were all small (4" to 5") and the junonia were of "poor quality"!!!
These accounts barely touch on the world-wide destruction of molluscan fauna now taking place daily to supply the
ever-growing shell market.
Dealers and shell clubs alike should unite in a concerted conservation program before depletion of this nature puts them both
out of business.
Saturday, April 2, 1966 will be a day I will remember for a long time. This was the morning that I found a beautiful, perfect
2-1/2" specimen of Conus bullatus.
Diving buddies Mal Loring of the Hickam Sea Lancers, and Reg Grimm of the San Francisco Skin Divers, were with me at a depth
of 75 feet off Pokai Bay when I spotted what looked like a typical 2" wide Terebra maculata track in a small sand pocket
between coral clumps. The trail lead from the edge of a coral boulder out into the center of the sand patch, and ended. A
quick fanning action across the track's end uncovered a brilliant red cone. I didn't know what I had for sure but I knew it
was something special. When I showed it to Mal and Reg sand really began to fly as they searched for the mate to my shell.
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