I have no experience with hybrids, except in Cypraeidae and Lambis: they are
easy to separate from normal shells.

However, in Harpidae, I agree that this will probably go unnoticed.

For the Lambis: there are too many wheelwrighti around, this is probably a
valid species. Especially because truncata is uncommon, even rare in most
areas in the Philippines.
But hybrids between lambis and millepeda are regularly turning up. This
because both live together in vast areas, they are common and eaten by the
thousands daily. So, people notice the typical scorpius plicae inside the
aperture easily.

There is a true problem in major: apparently few feel comfortable with the
present situation. The problem is documentation on the populations: the
exact finding spots of Harpa are kept carefully secret in the Philippines as
money is involved. And most of the Harpa populations have a limited range:
they are not common at all. While diving several thousand times in the
Philippines I never collected a Harpa except amouretta, who is uncommon, but
everywhere present.
We know when shells are from Zamboanga, but for sure the shells from
Zamboanga are mixed up with the ones from Basilan, Jolo and so many other
Islands. This results in a mix up of diverse shells and little knowledge.
Serious field study is needed.

It is evident that populations have stable patterns. I stated this in a
bunch of Harpa major trawled in Kaoshiung, Taiwan, where the species is
regular food: all had the same colour. Also the Harpa harpa from Olango has
stable pattern, even shape.

Guido










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