Dear Conchologists,

This week we got an amazing array of shells. Indeed, the
summer season
started with 3 weeks of calm seas, and the fishermen also
profited from
much warmer waters than a month ago.

THE GREAT DISCOVERY of the month is a SECOND SPECIMEN of
Conus
glorioceanus Poppe & Tagaro, 2009

The shell measures 41.1 mm in length, is fresh dead and has
a defect on
the ventral side. Definitely fresh but dead taken with a
hermit crab in
a fish trap on the same place as the holotype: Zamboanga,
between Recodo
and Perlas Island in about 100 m depth. This C. glorioceanus
is adult,
but 8.5 mm smaller than the holotype.

The shell confirms the size and conchological
characteristics of the
holotype as to be stable. Indeed, the description, based on
a single
specimen raised rumors as this should be a freak from
another
Conus-species. Despite a triple expertise of Gabriella
Raybaudi, Sheila
Tagaro and myself who all agreed that the species was new.

Dozens of local fishermen got photos from the holotype and
the sums
offered locally are high enough so that we can positively
expect more
shells to reach Cebu in the future. Getting a shell out of
100 m deep
may sound simple, in reality it is not. It is intensive in
work and high
in investment: one needs a boat, 160 m of rope, nets and a
lot of
muscles and time to get the gear to the surface daily.

The topotype is now in the collection of Conchology, Inc.,
the holotype
indeed belongs to the National Museum of the Philippines,
Manila.

You can view the shell in the Encyclopedia:

http://www.conchology.be/?t=66&family=CONIDAE%20-%20INDO-PACIFIC&species=Conus%20glorioceanus

Wishing you much Conchological Pleasure,

Guido T. Poppe

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