Dear Cypraeologists,

the Cypraea dayritiana has never been found in southern Palawan. All
specimens come from the north. Three Islands are known to have
populations: Coron, Lasi and Cullion Islands. The ones from Lasi are a
little broader than the ones from Coron and the ones from Cullion are
true C. dayritiana dani. This population in fact deserves subspecies
status.  (see our homepage)

The Balabac myth came from the suppliers: it is indeed difficult to
know where the boats went in Palawan. There are many boats from Olango
fishing there (occasionally 60 boats at a time). When shells arrive we
usually get a mixture from either Balabac, Cuyo Islands and/or Coron
region.  If the fishermen does not get first in contact with
Conchology, the intermediate sellers do not care about localities.
They are most of the time vague. They care about money only.

The case of C. dayritiana dani this is a different story: first
discovered by a hunter of Conchology, Inc. who first found the Lasi
population, later the dani population. As secrets have a short life
here among the hunters, soon other hunters went to Cullion and brought
back many specimens. The market for cowries is big and knowing the
stocks, we have put prices that we think the market will stabilize on.
But let's see and wait, one never knows. We can either be too low or
too high.

A nice anecdote: Cullion Island is a leper colony, seldom visited,
from where the delay in discovery. Famous dealer Clover went there
twenty years ago to collect not shells but Philippine silver coins for
his collection. He did not see a single C. d. dani despite watching
the shells with one eye.

It's great we get supply at an affordable price of such a nice little
cowry today. Most shells are dark, some have the same color as C.
dayritiana s.s. and I've seen a few without the spots and already a
few fakes of the latter.

Mabuhay from Mactan island, the Philippines.

Guido T. Poppe
Vice President Conchology, Inc.
Scientific Associate, Malacology Section, Royal Belgian Insitute of
Natural Sciences, Brussels.
Scientific Collaborator to the National Museum of Natural Sciences,
Paris.

Conchology, Inc.
Cebu Light Industrial Park,
Basak, Lapu-Lapu City,
Cebu, Philippines 6015

Phone #: +63 32 495 9990
Fax #: +63 32 495 9991

Websites: www.conchology.be
                  www.poppe-stamps.com
                   www.poppe-images.com
                   www.mambele.be

Email: [log in to unmask]

>

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