Lyle,

In response to your question:

"So what species did in fact  Petuch and Anders "rediscover" in the
Grenadines,  beddomei or erythraeensis?"

The answer, in my opinion right now, is beddomei.  John Tucker has sent me
an e-mail with reasoning in favor of Conus ziczac being a senior synonym of
C. beddomei, which I am evaluating.  Conus erythraeensis is found from the
Red Sea south to (perhaps) Mozambique.  C. erythraeenis is variable.  See
Coomans, Moolenbeek & Wills (1986).  They distinguish three subspecies. So,
keep your eye out for more variation than you have seen so far!

"I've long heard from other cone
collectors that a true beddomei has the black and white color pattern."

Comment:  The existing holotype of Conus beddomei is a dead, faded shell
that has a brown (not black) and cream pattern.  Alan Kohn shows a photo of
it on his website.  When specimens of the shell (like the holotype in
pattern) were "rediscovered", most were live collected black and white with
the same pattern as the holotype of C. beddomei.  Since this time, many
other shells have been found showing a much wider range of variation -
including solid colored ones.  Biologically, they are the same species.
Unfortunately,  these shells (of C. beddomei) have been sold for $50-$100
each, so most collectors only get one or two specimens and do not see the
variation.

Warm regards,

Bill Fenzan
Norfolk, Virginia, USA

Reference:
Coomans, Moolenbeek & Wils. 1986. Alphabetical revision of the (sub) species
in recent Conidae 9. ebraeus to extraordinarius with the description of
Conus elegans ramalhoi, nov. subspecies.  Basteria, 50, 93-150

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