|
|
Pokalets
The following species of cowries were collected alive or seen in such number and condition in the market place in Pago Pago
that their local occurrence seems unquestionable.
annulus (common)
arabica (common)
argus (rare, 3 sp.)
asellus (uncommon, 12 sp.)
caputserpentis (uncommon, 18 sp.)
carneola (rare, 3 sp.)
caurica (common)
childreni (rare, 1 sp., beach, Swains Island)
cicercula (rare, 4 sp.)
cribraria (rare, 2 sp.)
cumingi (?) (rare, 2 sp.)
eglantina (uncommon, 8 sp.)
erosa (abundant)
errones (rare, 1 sp. in market)
felina (rare, 3 sp.)
fimbriata (rare, 5 sp.)
helvola (uncommon, 7 sp.)
hirundo (common)
irrorata (rare, 3 sp., beach, Swains Island)
isabella (common)
kieneri (uncommon, 7 sp.)
lynx (rare, 5 sp.)
mauritiana (market only)
microdon (rare, 2 sp.)
minoridens (rare, 2 sp.)
moneta (abundant)
nucleus (uncommon, 9 sp.)
poraria (rare, 2 sp.)
punctata (uncommon, 8 sp.)
staphylaea (uncommon, 11 sp.)
talpa (uncommon, 9 sp.)
teres (rare, 1 sp.)
tigris (rare, 2 sp.)
ursellus (rare, 4 sp.)
vitellus (market only)
What happened from that point on is not too clear. I distinctly remember indicating to Betsy that our decompression
time/depth limit had expired and we would have to leave. The time in between the find and that moment is a complete blank. We
both agreed later that neither of us had been so shaken underwater before. The effect was worse than seeing a shark. At least
I had remembered what happened in such cases! After the dive, while sitting in the boat, an examination of the shells
revealed the fabulous beauty of the Strombs. They far exceeded the coloration and loveliness of the fresh fragments that had
been found in earlier diving. The shells were a myrid of color, ranging from the pink-purple of the protoconch, through the
russet rays on the lip, to the blue-brown of the back. The very active and strong animal was cream-colored with round light
brown spots on the foot and a brown proboscis covered with small, white spots. A pair of utterly fantastic almost human-like
eyes gave the mollusk a look of intelligence and personality. Frankly, the enormity of the find left us a bit breathless. We
had truly found the Philippine Strombus in his natural environment!
pokalets,pecten palleum,conus capitaneous,phjilippine shells,pinkrode,decorative,troca male,pecten vexillum orange,puka shell,pokalets
Pokalets black agate melo shell shells beads cyprea pappa hair conus omaria hair ornament shell accessories black leaf mother of pearl painted brown fusus murex huastillum shells jewelries shell beads shell leis shells pendants lamp shade.
pokalets
Shell
Bracelets
|
