Dear Wesley M. Thorsson and all
Many Cypraea excrete acid according to our experience in the Sinai region of
the Gulf of Aqaba with C. grayana, turdus, nebrites, pantherina etc. If one
will leave accidentally  fresh collected specimens (without some preventing
steps) for several hours, some of their shells will be apparently damaged.
Ed Heiman

-----Original Message-----
From: Wesley M. Thorsson <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Friday, October 01, 1999 8:34 PM
Subject: Acid secretion by Cypraea


>Some time ago, someone asked whether Cypraea secreted acid.  James comes
>to mind as the person.  I said I would ask E. Alison Kay, which I did.
>The answer from Alison follows.  Perhaps someone has something to add to
>this to round out the subject.
>
>"I finally tracked down the article on acid secretion in cowries. There
>was an argument in the early 60's as to whether acid was secreted by
>some cowries. I was at the meeting when it was proposed and saw the guy
>who presented the data be demolished by a very well known specialist in
>molluscan anatomy. However, in 1969 Tom Thompson did publish a paper on
>acid secretion in Pacific Ocean Gastropods. Australian Journal of
>Zoology 1969 17: 755-764. In summary:
>
>Kniffen, 1968 showed that in laboratory tests Cypraea cervus and C.
>zebra secrete acid more or less continuously.  In his 1969 paper
>Thompson found acid secretion in Cypraea macula, erosa, annulus,
>errones, caurica, vitellus, subviridis, caputserpentis, oryza,
>clandestina, moneta, tigris and spadicea. He concluded that the acid
>secreted is predominantly sulphuric acid, it is not secreted
>continuously as Kniffen said, and the secretion is probably defensive.
>I don't know of any later work offhand, but one could have a look
>throuigh Zoological Records to see if anything has since been looked at.
>                Sorry this took a bit of time. Alison
>
>
>
>
>
>
>--
>                     Aloha from Wesley M. Thorsson
>Editor of Internet Hawaiian Shell News, a monthly Internet Publication
>           122 Waialeale St, Honolulu, HI  96825-2020,  U.S.A
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>