Hi Eduardo,
I also enjoyed the shelling report from you, as well as John Caldeira's!
But of course you already knew that...
I'm back home, so I am a little better able to take a shot at the shell
ID's. My comments in your text below:
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> From: Jose Eduardo de Alencar Moreira <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: The Doubt Man
> Date: Thursday, July 20, 2000 12:32 PM
>
> Dear Conch-Lers,
>
> The Doubt Man (the shadow of Conch-L's official Question Man) rides again,
> ha!!
>
> With almost 100% of the shells collected in Samoa already cleaned, now there
> are still some difficult shells to be identified. Even with the help of Don
> Barclay and Tom Eichhorst, many shells are still a big question mark for me.
>
> I built a photo album in the Photopoint site, with the shells that need to
> be identified. Since my scanner is not that good and there was edition on
> the pictures, please don't expect to find any master piece in photography.
> They are there just to be identified.
>
> My photo album page address is listed below and I ask all you for your kind
> help:
>
> http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=983324
>
> All shells were collected in American or Western Samoa. Here come some other
> data about them:
>
> a) Maculotriton serriale: the shell in the left is very similar to the one
> listed in page 121 of "Seashells of Eastern Arabia". But the one in the
> right doesn't look to be the same specie. I couldn't find anything similar
> in my books.
It's a trick! The shell on the left is indeed Maculotriton serriale, but the
one on the right is an abnormally-slender Engina alveolata. They usually
have the orange markings when you find them this size, but not always.
> b) Cerithium columna: Don Barclay says it can be this specie, but he was not
> sure since he was on vacations and far from his books. Do you confirm his
> ID?
Yep, it's Cerithium columna. Sometimes fatter, and usually paler, but it
depends on where in Samoa you collect them.
> c) Mitra fraga: this is the closest ID I could find in #19a of page 203 of
> "Seashells of the Philippines". On the other hand, it doesn't look like the
> M. fraga shown in #2 of page 295 of Wilson's "Australian Marine Shells".
> Mine is pure dark red, what is similar in B&W to M. amaura of #4 of plate 51
> of Cernohorsky's Vol.II book. Nothing similar can be found in the
> Compendium, Eisenberg's "Seashells of the World" or "Seashells of Eastern
> Arabia". Any suggestions?
Yes, Mitra fraga. At least by the current definition of the species.
> d) Murex sp.: it is lighter brown than a Chicoreus brunneus, with rose in
> the tips of the spines and in the protoconch. Marcus Coltro suggested that
> it can be a juvenile specimen (two juveniles? which specie?). He also
> suggested that it could be a Chicoreus penchinati (Crosse, 1861).
I don't know. I've seen a lot of juvenile Chicoreus brunneus, but never
one that looks like yours. I doubt it's C. brunneus. It is very likely a
juvenile of some species, though.
> e) Nassarius sp.: as globose as N. globosus and very similar to that specie,
> but orange instead of black, and with a surface very smooth.
Yes, this is a form of Nassarius globosus.
> f) Neritina sp.: they covered the rocks near the surf by the zillions at
> Afono Bay, Am. Samoa. I couldn't find anything similar in any book.
I knew you would have problems ID'ing these shells. I'm not even sure
if the nerite guys have taken off the boxing gloves over this one yet. Was
the last suggestion N. chlorostoma, Tom, or am I a few rounds behind
in the discussion???
> g) Pisania sp.: a mistery shell. Looks like something similar to Wilson's
> vol II #22B pp.251 Pisania fasciculata. But the shell in Wilson's picture
> seems to have a quite smooth outer lip and mine has a series of denticles
> that are clearly shown in the attached picture. Tom suggests it could be P.
> ignea.
Well, it certainly does resemble P. fasciculata, and it fits Cernohorsky's
written description of this species quite well. However, P. fasciculata is
typically a heavier shell than the one you have, and I believe the aper-
ture shape and columella, as well as the patterning, are closer to Pisania
ignea. If it were not quite as slender, and if the coloration were darker, I
would be certain it was P. ignea. As it is, I'd say I'm 87.4% sure that
Pisania ignea is the correct ID.
> h) Pyrene testudinaria: since this specie has a variable pattern, it is the
> most close I came to an ID.
I too have been calling this species P. testudinaria, but I'm not positive
that this is correct. It is very consistent in form, more compact than
the photos I've seen of P. testudinaria.
> i) Rissoina spirata: very similar to the picture shown in pp.58 of
> Compendium. Marcus Coltro suggests it is a Cerithium, and you, what is your
> opinion?
I really think this is Cerithium nesioticum Pilsbry & Vanatta, 1906.
That's is what I have been labeling it.
> j) Trochus radiatus: Trochus radiatus seems to be an Indian Ocean shell
> according to Kaicher cards, but the Compendium lists it as Indo-Pacific. In
> the shells I have, the radial stripes are not as clear as they are shown in
> pp.44 of Compendium. I couldn't find any other similar shell. Don says that
> it "may be T. radiatus, or it may be T. maculatus. It depends on which book
> you look at, as this shell is depicted in different books as either of these
> species. The only good reference I have here are a set of Kaicher cards I
> just bought, and the photo is a best match with T. ochroleucus. The written
> description sounds most like T. radiatus, though, but most photos show the
> whorls to be somewhat "stepped," instead of a rather smooth curve on the
> outline. Your choice, I guess." As you can see, I do not have any choice up
> to now... and you?
You already have my opinion on this one : ).
> k) Turbinidae sp.: in the beginning I thought it could be a Modulus sp., but
> its mouth is 100% round with a dark purple color all over its opening. The
> closest I found was Cernohorsky's Vol.II plate 10 #7 Liotina peronii
I used to think this was probably a form of Liotina peronii. I have spent
quite a few hours trying to ID this species, and have concluded that it is
....something else.
>l) Turridae sp. 1: another mistery shell. It has a very subtle entrance in
> the beginning of the outer lip like some Turridae and two denticles close to
> the siphonal canal, one in the columella and the other in the lip. Both Don
> and Tom suggested it could be also a Columbellidae, but they are not sure
> about it. And you?
Kaicher shows this shell to be Mitrella jaspidea (Sowerby, ?), but
Cernohorsky seems to consider it to be the costate form of Mitrella
marquesa (Gaskoin, 1852). I'm sure someone can set us straight
on current synonymy.
> m) Turridae sp. 2: nothing similar found in any book. It is black (or VERY
> dark brown, with a white tip)
Turridrupa cerithina (Anton, 1838). T. cincta and T. bijubata are also
found here, but I don't think you got any.
> n) Mistery shells: counting clockwise from the upper row, shells #1, 2 and 4
> are, for me, clearly Cronia margariticola. The #3 has the shape and very
> fine spinose spiral cords like C. margariticula, but the outer lip has no
> teeth (unless you consider the faint nodule as a tooth), and brown-orange
> mouth. Don Barclay says that "Kaicher says the columella may be brown in
> this species. The shell shape, sculpture, and markings are very good matches
> for M. margariticola, and I'm fairly sure that is the correct ID for this
> shell. The surface should be very rough to the touch". Don is right, the
> shell is rough to the touch. Shells #5 and 6 are for me the same species but
> different from shells #1, 2 and 4. Shell #7 seems to be a juvenile Thais.
> Any bets?
Of your shells 1 through 4, none of these are what I would call "typical"
C. margariticola. Most fall somewhere in between #2 and #3 in coloration.
Because of the intergrades, my bet is that they are all the same species.
The lip on the pale one is juvenile, so it didn't quite have enough time to
develop the denticles. Hard to believe they're the same species, isn't it?
#5 and #6 are both juvenile Morula sp., maybe M. granulata or M. mutica.
The last shell is another tricky one: a juvenile Drupa grossularia.
> o) Bivalve sp.: if I'm a grade C shell collector identifying gastropods, I
> don't even deserve a F regarding bivalves. Jan, this shell was collected
> thinking on you, please help me!!!. BTW, I'm still felling guilty since I
> sent you my last parcel of shells. I wish the shells I collected in Samoa
> for you will make you happy. Any suggestions?
If you deserve an "F" on bivalves, I probably deserve a "G," but... I reckon
this is a smoother-than-usual Asaphis violascens (Forskal, 1775).
Cheers,
Don
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