Dear Gladys,
let me add more to your confusion and cite Prof. Schilder who described C.
spurca sanctaehelenae:
"In the American acicularis ... the dorsum is fulvous to orange with the
lateral spots pale and less conspicuous than the ferrugineous lateral
pittings, while in sanctaehelenae ... from the Southern Central Atlantic the
dorsum is brown with the dark lateral spots relatively more acentuated."
So, the two subspecies, acicularis acicularis and acicularis sanctaehelenae,
are separated geographically and if you are sure that your shells were
collected in the Southern Central Atlantic (S. Helena I., Ascension I.) they
are undoubtedly acicularis sanctaehelenae.
Best regards
Eduard Heiman

----- Original Message -----
From: "Gladys Fehling" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, October 21, 2002 4:48 AM
Subject: Re: Cypraea acicularis santeahelenae, Schilder 1930


> Thank you,
>
> Now I am more confused than ever.  I got exactly the opposite information
> from two other sources.  Look at the following site:
> http://www.cypraea.net/aciculariscomparative.htm  and you will see what I
> mean.  I also received photos from another individulal with the exact same
> information.
>
> Sincerely,
> Gladys Fehling
> [log in to unmask]
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ringwald Fabien" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2002 7:44 AM
> Subject: Re: Cypraea acicularis santeahelenae, Schilder 1930
>
>
> > Hello!
> >
> > I believe that there are only two features that can
> > separate acicularis from sanctaehelenae.
> > First feature :
> > Acicularis aciularis: The marginal pitting is very
> > regular all along the margin; with generally a black
> > coloration in each depression of the pitting. This is
> > always right on the elder specimen and frequently
> > visible on younger specimens.
> >
> > Acicularis sanctaehelenae : the marginal pitting is
> > visible only near the extremities, even on the elder
> > specimens. No black coloration in the depressions of
> > the margins.
> >
> > Second feature :
> > The spots all along the margins are regularly arranged
> > along the margins, in the ac. ac. case, but they are
> > randomly arranged on the margins of ac. Sthelenae.
> >
> > I would like to stress on one point : the coloration
> > of the dorsum is absolutely not a constant feature.
> > This year, I found ten specimens in Martinique Island
> > which were really dark (nearly brown dorsum) and not
> > yellow at all. This almost depends of the biotope in
> > which a population of cowries lives.
> > Sincerely
> >
> >                Fabien
> >
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