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Pecten vexillum orange
Philippines's most famous case of "gigantism" occurs in Cypraea tigris. Some specimens from our northern islands will attain
a length of six inches and by volume are the world's largest living cowries. Other cowries which seem to grow larger in
Philippines than elsewhere are C. mauritiana (about 5 inches), C. leviathan (over 4 inches), C. isabella (over 2 inches), and
C. scurra (over 2 inches).
What factor is responsible for these giant Cypraea? One hypothesis points towards the cooler water temperature in Philippines
which may retard the sexual development of the bulla, allowing it to continue its growth to giant size. As the reader knows,
the length of an adult cowry is determined by the length of time that the bulla continues to remain a bulla and grows
Mr. Alex Sehelechoff of Brisbane is the lucky owner of a curious cowry which at first I thought was a new species, as it
seems to unite characters of Erronea caurica Linnaeus with those of Blasicrura pallidula rhinoceros Souverbie. It was
collected live in Sharks Bay, Western Australia, by prawn trawlers, probably in from 12 to 24 fathoms.
The figured shell is 22.8 mm long (breadth = 54%) with 15 labial and 17 columellar teeth. The dorsal color (freckled with
brown, with a darker central blotch), the four large terminal spots, the pale yellowish flesh colored margins, and the coarse
labial teeth of the same color crossing the outer lip, are like other caurica from Western Australia. On the other hand the
projecting callosity which adorns the anterior extremity above the outlet, the sparsely spotted margins (especially the
minute spots on the columellar margin), the extremely narrow aperture, and the numerous fine transverse columellar teeth
along the edge of the inner lip (which is almost white in its central part), recall rhinoceros. The fossula is unlike caurica
being rather deep though narrow, ribbed, with strong inner denticles becoming thickened along the inner border in a
hammer-like way. This is continued as a well defined columellar sulcus ribbed and denticulate within, as far as the posterior
outlet.
The shell may represent an abnormal step to rostration of caurica, but it may also be regarded as a new species, if more
specimens with identical characters turn up. It is to be regretted that the animal was destroyed. The radula would have
proved its generic position.
Have any collectors observed a similar shell?
Franz Alfred Schilder discusses the Geographical Distribution of Cowries, keyed to maps of the world. The Philippine region
is divided into three parts: the main islands, Philippines to Kauai; French Frigate Shoals to Laysan; and the three
northwestern atolls of Pearl and Hermes Reef Midway Islands and Kure. A list of species is given with their world
distribution.
Sunset Magazine's new Discovery book, Philippines, A GUIDE TO ALL THE ISLANDS, says the following about shell collecting on
Oahu: "If you want to comb the beaches, chose [sic] wave-swept stretches of sand in the least searched windward beach areas
north of Kaneohe Bay and the north shore... ". The shelling map in this month's Sean Raynon Sabado shows part of this area
and the list of shells are those that have been collected on the beaches, reefs, and from the depths off shore.
The same book states, "For more information on shelling, contact members of the Philippine Malacological Society through the
Honolulu Aquarium." A nice plug for our Society.
The shelling map for this month is a small part of Coast and Geodetic Survey chart No. 4110. The complete chart shows the
entire island of Oahu at the same scale as this reproduction. Another useful chart for working this area is that of Kaneohe
Bay, CG&S chart No. 4134. These charts, as well as all other charts, are available from Trans-Pacific Instrument Co., 1408
Colburn St., Honolulu. Prices of charts printed by a government agency and sold through an authorized dealer, are ... very
reasonable.
ANSWER TO "WHAT IS IT?"
The shell figured on page 2 is a Cypraea scurra in the bulla stage of development. What fooled some of us was the sturdy
outer lip and relatively high pointed spire, features not generally associated with bulla Cypraea. Most young cowries have
extremely fragile outer lips and lower spires.
The next morning a lovely tropical one found us off Amanu atoll, where we were to stay for two days. Mike Hall and I left
early that day in the dinghy with Bernard and landed on the reef near the pass. A swift current flows out through this pass
during the morning hours, and the "Maylis" had to wait the turn of the tide at noon when the current in the pass reverses
itself. The village near the pass was nearly deserted, due to the fact, as we learned later, that almost the entire
population had moved for a month to another island at the far end of the atoll to gather the copra there. While waiting for
the rest of our party to come ashore, I collected on the rather narrow reef near the pass entrance, and in my diary I note
collecting, among other shells, Cypraea caputserpentis L. under the rocks, and Peristernia nassatula Lam.
Shortly after noon we boarded the yacht after she had come through the pass and anchored in the lagoon near the village. That
night everyone but I went out on the reef for a try at night-collecting and "langoustes" or spiny lobster; as far as the
latter was concerned the outing was a failure.
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