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Shell lampshades
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.
Mr. Cedric Coucom of Yeppon (Queensland) has sent me 331 cowries which he had collected in 1965 during a short visit to
Holborne Island, about 20 miles north of Bowen, Queensland; the small island is rarely visited by shell collectors. Plenty of
worn, bleached shells have been collected on the sandy beach, but only a few living cowries on the adjacent reefs so that the
animals are thought to live in deeper waters. In the following paragraph the species have been enumerated according to their
frequency, indicated by the number of specimens collected on the beach:
49 carneola (25 to 74 mm long), 33 isabella, 28 labrolineata, 27 erosa, 22 nucleus, 18 pallidula, 16 eglantina, 16 caurica,
14 errones, 14 gracilis, 14 quadrimaculata, 13 cylindrica, 10 vitellus, 10 stolida (large), 8 talpa, 6 annulus, 5 cicercula,
4 argus, 4 lynx, 4 teres, 2 scurra, 2 margarita, 2 caputserpentis, 2 hirundo, 2 cribraria, 1 arabica, 1 staphylaea, 1
limacina, 1 asellus, 1 clandestina, 1 kieneri -- but no specimens of globulus, moneta, xanthodon, subviridis, listeri, etc.
The total of 31 species among 331 cowry specimens is amazing, and the relative frequency of species is unusual in East
Australian waters. The absence of xanthodon points to the insular character of the fauna, and the white aperture of
caputserpentis as well as the large lateral blotches of erosa point to its affinity with Melanesian faunas, as the relative
frequency of quadrimaculata, talpa and argus does.
SCUBA diving around the coast of Sydney, as elsewhere, can only be accomplished at the generosity of the elements. Although
we have few problems with strong currents, we do have to contend with a rather heavy swell. As the greater part of our diving
is done from shore, it is only in times of smooth seas that dives can be made with satisfactory safety measures. When the
water is turbulent the Harbour comes into its own. No matter how rough we can always find a spot to get in, and more
important, to get out in one piece. Visibility is nothing to boast about and at times it is only 2 to 3 feet.
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