Dear Russ
Subspecies are geographically isolated populations of a species which share
the main diagnostic shell characters of a species but the majority of
individuals of a subspecies differs from other populations of the same
species by at least one shell characteristic.
 A correct (valid) modern description of a subspecies must include
statistical data confirming the difference between shell characteristics of
a new subspecies and the other populations of a species and also a section
DIAGNOSIS (or DEFINITIONS)  that states in words characters that are
purported to differentiate the taxon. If a section DIAGNOSIS is absent or
the difference between shell characteristics of a new subspecies and other
populations of the same species is not singled out and stressed in its
description nobody, in my opinion, can help  us to form a scientifically
based opinion regarding a new taxon.
If you have enough shells of Mauritia maculifera from Tahiti in your
collection (several 30-50 at least) you can try by yourself to compare shell
characteristics of your batch of shells with shell characteristics of the
species from other areas of the world published in the malacological
literature.

Eduard Heiman



. ----- Original Message -----
From: "Russ Webb" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, June 20, 2004 5:30 PM
Subject: Cypraea maculifera scindata


> Can anyone enlighten me as to the differences between Cypraea maculifera
and
> ssp. Cypraea maculifera sindata (Lorenz 2002)?
>
> Russ
>
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