Hello Conch-L, This is a response to an e-mail I received privately, but when I use my reply button, the message keeps bouncing back to me as undeliverable. So I'm sending it though Conch-L, in hopes that it will reach the right party. Hi Ron, If you were collecting in the South Pacific, your description wouldn't be much to go on. However, you were collecting in an area where there are normally only 4 species of Cypraea found, and only one of those has a spotted dorsum, or dark spots along the margins of the base. Therefore I think your specimens must be Cypraea spurca. This is a very variable species in base color, amount and darkness of spotting, etc. The other three Cypraea in the area are C. achatidea, C. lurida, and C. pyrum, and your description sounds nothing at all like those species. All the elements of your description would fit at least some specimens of C. spurca. There have been rare occurrences of other Cypraea in the Mediterranean, particularly C. gracilis and C. caurica. However, your specimens don't match either of those species in size, color, or markings. And, since you collected several of them, it is most likely a species common to the area. So, I'd bet all my marbles on C. spurca. Regards, Paul Monfils