Hi Cecil,

First of all, sorry because I wrote bad informations :
in cassiaui : base is yellow and dorsum violet, and
yes, absence of gloss.

see on this link
http://www.george-shells.com/wallpaper/cyp_granulata_cassiaui_308cob.jpg

In fact, cassiaui is endemic to Marquesas. And all
specimens found out from there (like in the tuamotus)
can be undoubtedly considered an extreme form of
granulata : if you don't found a whole population
(minimum a score of specimens)presenting the same
elements you can't affirm that it's the nominate form.
On some hawai granulata you can find specimens with
"purple" - lilac extremities but never the whole
dorsum

The specimen on the picture you found on the net is
certainly not a cassiaui. Perhaps an extreme form of
nucleus resembling in some way to granulata but this
not scientific stuff...

In cassiaui, the purple of the dorsum and the
yellowish base are very contrasting.
Hope this be of any help for you,
sincerely

Fabien


--- Cecil Bankston <[log in to unmask]> a écrit :

> Thanks for all the replies.  I was influenced by the
> prominent  dorsal sulcus with no encroachment by the
> granulations in the middle and right specimens I
> posted on my web page.  That feature is supposed to
> be a differentiating criterion for cassiaui.
>
> Some of the pictures of "cassiaui" on the web also
> appear almost identical to 2 of my specimens, e.g.,
>
http://www.perlae.fr/price_list/cypraeidae/cypraea_granulata_cassiaui_18_2/3.htm
> A Google search will yield several similar images.
>
> Are those specimens probably misidentified?
>
> Do all cassiaui have the violet color, or are there
> color variants, as some of the pictures on the web
> would seem to imply?  Do all cassiaui have the same
> absence of gloss that granulata shows?
>
> Cecil Bankston
>
>
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