Lyle,
Many thanks. I think you've solved the mystery for me.
I agree with you 100% on the variability of Conus magus. I have several
others from here (Siargao) that are totally different, and am currently
looking at a series I collected in Palawan, that are quite different again
(and very much larger).
My 'Bible' has been Springsteen & Leobrera's 'Shells of the Philippines'
but nowadays my prime authority is Eddie Hardy's website,
http://gastropods.com/Taxon_pages/TN_Family_CONIDAE_CONINAE.shtml
which lumps many of S&L's separate species into one 'Conus magus' with many
forms or subspecies.
Has anyone done studies of the radulae of Conus magus to ascertain if they
are really all of the same species?
On Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:45:50 -0500, Lyle Therriault
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>Richard,
>
>Nice set of photos you posted. Regarding your specimens, the larger are
certainly magus, I believe they are the subspecies "fucatus". Looking over
specimens in my own collection the shells are nearly identical. They start
off generally as a solid color usually pink or olive green, and form
patterning by adult stage in most cases. Many of the adult specimens in my
collection are rarely over 30-35mm, and are heavily colored in pink/olive
green and browns, sometimes all in one shell. In nearly all specimens the
spire and apex is bright pink.
>
>I wouldnt be surprised however if you didnt have a few axelrodi mixed in
with the juvenile specimens.
>
>The larger specimen of 56mm you collected is also magus, most likely
another subform.
>
>In my opinion, the magus group is one of the most easily confusing species
because they are extremely variable. Some named subspecies are pretty
standard and do not change much at all, but others are not and can have
wild and complexing patterns even tho they are the same species.
>
>Regards, Lyle Therriault
>
>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Richard Parker <[log in to unmask]>
>>Sent: Nov 22, 2009 3:59 PM
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: [CONCH-L] Small 'Conus magus'
>>
>>I have put together two composite photographs of the 'small pinkies'
>>developing into 'Conus magus'
>>http://www.flickr.com/photos/28722516@N02/4123579753/
>>http://www.flickr.com/photos/28722516@N02/4123579585/
>>(Apologies for the poor editing)
>>
>>I hope these explain themselves (No 6 is where they appear tc change over)
>>from a totally pink shell to a larger brown and white colouration, with
>>brown maculations on the spire, and granulated spiral coils (very strong
in
>>no 17).
>>
>>No 17 is one of the largest of this type that I have collected here. I
have
>>another (32mm) very beach-washed, but that's all.
>>
>>Except that, just today, I found another shell in my collection that
>>resembles some of the 'small cones' that are so abundant:
>>http://www.flickr.com/photos/28722516@N02/4125164819/
>>
>>But, as you can see, it doesn't really resemble the smaller ones very
much.
>>It entirely lacks the granulated spiral cords and bright colours. But it
>>does have the pink spire.
>>
>>Am I seeing one species, or two?
>>
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>
>Lyle Therriault,
>Property Manager
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>
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