"'I.f

A

I. Pachychilus largillierti (Philippi, 1843). ApoyoLake feeder streams. Two specimens: 46.1 X 15.8 mm.:33.7 X 12.0 mm, max I. & w.

spite of all this, cichlid fishes thrive in the lake,supplying the community with tasty protein. Butthere are no bivalves and only one gastropod,Pyrgophorus coronatus (Pfeiffer, 1839), wellknown for its capacity to live in highly toxic orpolluted waters.

The collecting stations are scattered aroundthe lake, some in the water itself, others amongthe aquatic plants, some among sand and stonesat the water's edge. Other stations are at differentlevels all the way up to the rim of the crater, inopen fields or under trees and rocks. Smallspring-fed brooks that run into the lake and theirbanks were also searched. The collecting stationswere visited repeatedly from 1987 to April 1992.

The total number of species found was 33,divided into 17 families and 22 genera. Thisshould be considered as an unusually rich faunafor such a restricted area. Solem and Climo(1985) held that small communities of molluscsare generally made up of from 5 to 12 species.

Among the Prosobranchs were the following:Pachychilus largillierti (Philippi, 1843),

(fig. I). About 20 specimens were found, livingin the small feeder streams, but not in the lake.This species is common in the mountain streamsof Nicaragua, especially in the Chontales hills,and is a popular source of food.

Pyrgophorus coronatus (Pfeiffer, 1839). Theonly mollusc living in the lake waters, but foundin countless millions, the empty shells coloringwhite the sand and fine gravel at the edge of thelake. Semi-fossil specimens line the groundalong the shore to a height of some 30 m abovethe present water level, giving proof of whel:e thewater reached to some fifty years ago, and con-firmed by one of the oldest inhabitants of thelake shore. The sculpture of this shell varies fromglossy smooth to granulose and heavily striated,keeled and coronated specimens, making it hardto believe they could all be the same species.

(Cont'd on Page 6)

By Al Lopez, S.J.* and Mijail Perez**

MANAGUA - Faunistic studies of ecosys-

tems are important for obtaining basic informa-tion on interaction between species of a specificlocality. Modem malacology is concerned withthis type of research since it is the only way offinding truly scientific solutions to taxonomicand biogeographical problems and to questionsregarding the proper use and control of naturalresources (cf. Aguayo, 1944).

This article presents some of the 33 species ofgastropods we have collected in and around ApoyoLake (Laguna de Apoyo), in southwestern Nic-aragua. The complete list being prepared forpublication includes four new species yet to bedescribed and illustrated. Additional research ofthe ecosystem is in progress by a joint team ofinvestigators from the University of CentralAmerica in Managua (UCA) and the Universityof Maryland. It includes flora and fauna, espe-cially the taxonomic and behavioral study of theendemic cichlid fishes.

Apoyo is a truly spectacular lake of crystal-clear blue water, 20 km in circumference. As onecomes suddenly upon the brink of the calderaand gazes down at the surface 300 m below, thepanorama is breathtaking. The lake was formedin a Krakatao-type explosion of which there isno native memory. Its sides are precipitous. Wehave measured depths to 300 m, the limit of ourdepth meter. The bottom apparently is well be-yond that point.

The water has a high mineral content, it cor-rodes metals to a mushy powder and it is unfitfor drinking. In places, hot water and gas bubbleup continuously. One well we dug gave abun-dant and extremely hot but foul tasting water. In 2. Neocyclotus nicaraguense Bartsch, 1942. Apoyo

Lake, all around the coast from the water line to thetop. One operculum and 2 specimens: 20.8 X 17.5 mm;20.2 X 16.8 mm, max. diarn. & height.

All photos: Dick Meier, LACM Dept. ofPhotography, June 1992.

*UCA University, P.O. Box A-90, Managua, Nicara-

gua.**Instituto de Ecologia y Sistematica, Academia deCiencias de Cuba, Havana.

Page 2 HAW AllAN SHELL NEWS June, 1993

~aIII;att411- Sleett ~4ISSN 0017-8624

Florida-boundEditors Emeritus. . . . . . . .. Dr. Tom Burch, E.R. Cross,

Evelyn Gage Gerisch

Interim Editor Stuart Lillico

Associate Editors .Olive Schoenberg-Dole,George Cook

Science Advisers. . . Dr. E.Alison Kay, W.O.Cernohorsky

Photo Adviser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Olive Schoenberg-Dole

Distribution RayMcKinsey

International Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. .. Bill Ernst

Text Editors: Beatrice Burch, George Campbell, BunnieCook, Dr. Robert Cowie, Trudi Ernst, Lyman Higa, JohnJacobs, Dwayne Minton, Wes Thorsson

Index Editor RayMcKinsey

HAWAIIAN MALACOLOGICAL SOCIETY(Founded in 1941)

P.O. Box 22130 Honolulu, Hawaii 96823-2130

President Dr.RobertCowie

Vice President. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Betsy Harrison Gagne

Treasurer BobMoffitt

Recording Secretary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vela Beckwith

Cnrr"~nnnn;nn ~""r..t"rv . . . . . . . . . Trudi Ernst

P.O. Box 22130 HonolulPresident. . . .. .. . ... . . . . . . . . . .Vice President ETreasurer. . . . . . . .. .. . . .. .. . ...

Recording Secretary. . . . . . . . . . . .Corresponding Secretary. . . . . . . .

DIRECTORS

Ron Beckwith Liz KaneGeorge Cook Dick MayBill Ernst Ray McKinsey

COUNSELORS

Sid SneidarDavid Woodman

Concluding a five-year tour in Hawaii withthe U.S.Air Force, HMS member John Jacobs inApril received his Associate's degree in AppliedScience in Intelligence and Imagery Analysisfrom the Air Force Community College. Thecommencement exercise was held at Hickam AirForce Base, Honolulu.

John accomplished his studies while activelyworking with the Society on such projects as theHMS Fiftieth Anniversary shell show and auc-tion last year. He doffs his hat to Cheryl Jacobs,the Society's office manager for the past threeyears, for putting up with his long hours of study.Cheryl in turn expresses great pride in herhusband's academic success.

"Besides," she adds, "it means a pay raise."The Jacobses leave Hawaii in July for duty in

Florida, where John hopes to continue studYIngtoward a Bachelor of Science degree.

"Cheryl and I will certainly miss Hawaii,"John admits, "but we are looking forward toFlorida and my new assignment."

This endemic Hawaiian tree snail figured on page nineof HSN last month was an Achatinella sp. (not aPartulina). It is an endangered species with an ex-tremely restricted habitat in the mountains behind Ho-nolulu.

Dr. Allen Allison Dr. Bruce CarlsonE.R.Cross Dr. E.Alison Kay Donald Dan

HMS Office Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cheryl Jacobs

The Society meets at 730 p.m. on the first Wednesday ofeach month except December at the First United MethodistChurch, Victoria and Beretania Streets. in Honolulu

VISITORS ARE WELCOME!

Hawaiian Shell News is distributed free to members of theSociety. Postage is included in membership dues Sampk!copies on request Information on back issues available fromthe Society (Alln Back Issue Mgr.) or from Univers~y Micro-films International 300 North Zeeb Road. Ann Arbor, Michigan48106-1346

Members outside the United States are asked to pay theirdues in US dollars with a bank cheque (not a draft) payableto HMS, or an International Money Order Be sure your nameand address are included

HMS DUES FOR 1993Includes delivery of HSN

. US Zip Code Addresses

Bulk mali (not forwardable to new address) . . . $25.00First class. . . . . . . . . . . . 30.00

. Mexico and Canada (Airmail) ., 3100

. All Other Countries

Surface 33.00Airmail 36.00

. ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP (Family members;

HMS card but no HSN) '.'. 100

Articles of interest on molluscan-related topics are solic-ited Contents are not copyrighted. Republication, with cred~to HSN, is invited.

Any opinions expressed in signed articles in HawaiianShell News are those of the authors and do not necessariiyrepresent policies of the Hawaiian Malacological Society

Hawaiian Shell News does not intentionally carry originaldescriptions of species or genera, and does not wish to becited as authority for new taxa

Advertising is accepted at the rate of US$25 per column-inch per issue, payable in advance. Discounts are offered forsix and twelve insertions Inclusion of such advertising inHSN, however, does not imply Society endorsement of theadvertiser or the material offered.

Hawaiian Shell News is printed by Fisher Printing Co. ofHonolulu

A NEW OFFICE MANAGERWith the pending departure from Hawaii of

Cheryl Jacobs, the job as Office Manager for theHawaiian Malacological Society is being takenover by pwayne Minton, a graduate student inzoology at the University of Hawaii, Manoa(Honolulu) under Dr. E.Alison Kay. Dwayne re-ceived his bachelor's degree in science fromSouthhampton College on Long Island, N'ewYork.

Barbara Kuemper, originally designated forthe office job, was unable to accept due to othercommitments.

PROGRESS AT SANIBELAn all-day open house for the public and the

press marked the official opening of the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum Preview Center onSanibel Island, Florida in mid-April. The centeris to be open Mondays through Fridays whileconstruction is under way on the museum proper.

The initial display at the center is "The Scal-lop, Queen of Conchology," a fiv&,panel dis-play on the scallop's biology and its prominencein art, history and religion.

Meanwhile, "confusion" (as the MuseumFoundation put it rather delicately) in securing adevelopment permit has been overcome and thesite has been cleared of hundreds of Brazilianpeppers, an ancient car body, a pigpen and dis-carded tires. Several hundred special trees andferns have been moved to another site.

LIVING TO A RIPE OLD AGEMany intertidal invertebrates reach ripe old

ages. The anemone Anthopleura xanthogram-mica seemingly lives indefinitely.

Pisaster ochraceus, the predatory ochre star,can live at least 20 years. It is eaten occasionallyby seagulls, anemones and sea otters, but thenonly partially, which permits regeneration. Thismay contribute to its impressive lifespan. Itsmussel prey, Mytilus californianus, may be onlythree or four years old, whereas the Hinnitesscallop may exceed fifty years.

A large lobster can reach sixty to a hundredyears.

A legal-size abalone, Haliotis spp., may bearound perhaps seven to ten years, while Tegulafunebralis, the black turban snail, lives twentyto thirty years and the tiny Littorina five to ten.

California's red and purple sea urchins, Stron-gylocentrotus purpuratus, and S. franciscanus,range from ten to thirty years. Even Tetraclitarubescens, the red barnacle, although it maturesin two years, can live for fifteen.

Consider the rate of growth and replacementof animals the next time you find their shellsunderfoot.

Steve Vogel in Tidelines, publication of theCabriUo Marine Museum in San Diej(o. California.

Page 3June, 1993 HAWAIIAN SHELL NEWS

L

The Makah Indian harpooner rises ~o plunge his shell-tipped lance into a gray whale. In the foreground the diverawaits the signal to go into the sea to secure the whale's huge jaw for towing to shore.

From the collection of the Jefferson County (Wash.) Historical Society, Port Townsend, WA.

By E.R. Cross*

Two thousand years ago the Old World-span-ning Roman Empire was beginning a slow de-cline from the peak of its power. In Central andSouth America the first great Meso-Americancivilizations were approaching their zenith.China's Han Dynasty was pushing westward intoCentral Asia and establishing links with Europe.

Far from these seats of power, at a tiny MakahIndian village facing the cold, rainy PacificOcean at what is now the northwesternmost cor-ner of the United States, "Citku," a youngMakah, completed the strict traditional trainingrequired to become a whale diver. Citku (Makahfor dolphin) was about to take his place as a keymember of the tribal whaling crew. The last stepin his schooling and the first in his new role wasto dive for the big mussel shell that was an inte-gral part of successful whaling.

No one knows for sure when the first nativepeople of the Pacific Northwest began huntingwhales. Some clues, however, have been foundin the ruins of the Makah village of Ozette,buried some 600 years ago when a huge, violentmudslide almost instantly covered everythingand protected it from deterioration. In recentdecades archaeologists have recovered morethan 50,000 artifacts from Ozette for study.

"The tradition of hunting sea animals, includ-ing fur seals, [seems to have] continued withlittle detectable change for at least 2,000 years,"according to Dr. Gustafson, one of the Ozetteresearchers.

Oral history and the Makahs' own whalinglore indicate the crews' equipment and whalingtechnique have changed little in even more thou-sands of years.

The recorded legends and songs, and the re-covered artifacts, reveal the Makahs' long-stand-ing maritime culture. They excelled in manyaspects of surviving in a difficult and demandingenvironment, dominated by wind, rain and NorthPacific storms. Their economy was based on theresources of the sea that they faced and of theforests at their back. Sea-mammal hunting, aswell as fishing for halibut and salmon in season,were their main sources of food, with marinemolluscs as an important supplement. Shellsserved as tools, dishes and cooking utensils. Forthe whalers, however, certain shells were criti-

cally important.A Makah whale hunt was divided into several

phases. First, the whalers had to prepare them-selves, both spiritually and physically, to face the"great one." Putting to sea in a canoe hewn fromthe trunk of a single cedar tree required the ut-most dedication. They had to secure the hugetree and haul it to the water's edge where somefashioned the craft while others prepared thewhaling tools and equipment they would need.* P.O. Box 1267. Port Anl!eles. WA 98362

In all, I bathed in ten different rivers before I feltpurified enough to meet the Great One."

Diver Citku knew that a mere human couldnot capture such a great animal without super-natural help.

"As I walked [he went on] I sang my songs tothe whale spirit, telling how much good thewhale would do for my people, and how muchit would be appreciated. I also promised to de-posit its bones "back in the sea so that the GreatWhale Spirit could put new flesh on them."

The whale diver's equipment was special,particularly the harpoon points on which Citkuwas working. Each had a shaft 14 to 18 feet long,usually made from a yew sapling, a pair of pointssometimes made of sharpened deer antlers butmore often crafted from mussel shells, and longropes twisted together from small cedar brancheshe had gathered from the forest.

As his companions completed preparationsfor his first "cruise" as a whale diver, Citkuwalked to the windswept shore to seek the spe-cial shells he needed. Once he had these hewould be prepared to face the sea's hazards andthe power of the Great One.

The shells for the harpoon head would befrom the Modiolus jlabellatus (Gould, 1850)that we today call the great or fan horsemussel.Thick and strong, up to seven inches long, onecould easily be crafted into the cutting point ofa harpoon. As he walked the shingle beach,Citku found several scallop shells of the sortMakah women used to make jewelry. He putthem in his collecting box and deposited it abovethe hi~h-tide line. Then he followed a few trails

Then it was necessary for the village chief toperform rituals that would determine when thehunt would start. Finally, when all was right forthe enterprise, the new canoe was launched,equipped and made ready for sea,

Later, when the hunters returned in triumphwith a whale in tow, there would be a ritualdivision of the catch.

Each canoe had eight men on board, one ofwhom would be the diver. All eight needed greatstrength and stamina to capture and kill a 3D-to4D-ton whale at sea, often in foul weather, thentow it back to the village. The Makah men metthis challenge with a long process of physicalconditioning, ritual cleanliness and ceremony.

As the designated diver of a Makah whalingcrew, Citku would have a particularly difficultand dangerous job. His station was in the bow,just to the right of the harpooner. At the criticalmoment he was expected to plunge overboardwith his clamshell weapon to secure the har-pooned whale alongside the canoe for the longpaddle home. Failure from fear or clumsiness orslow work or just bad luck could mean loss ofmuch-needed food for the village, or the canoe,or its whole crew.

To assure a successful hunt for his crew -and his own survival - Citku had undergoneyears of physical conditioning and spiritual in-doctrination that had started in his early 'teens.

Let Citku tell his own story:"For four out of every fourteen days I walked

and bathed in many rivers. Then I would stay inmy house for ten days and again walk and bathein another river. I did not eat durin~ those walks.

Pa~e 4 HAWAIIAN SHELL NEWS June, 1993

-SHELLS FOR SALE

A Modiolus flabellatus (Gould, 1850) valve found inOzelle Village, the raw material for a harpoon point.

40,000 MICRO SHEllSBUT WHO'S COUNTING?

HMS members are likely to think of JoanneLightfoot of Sedona, Arizona as a collector ofthe Caecidae exclusively (see HSN July 1992).In fact, she has a very extensive collection ofboth marine and terrestrial micromolluscs repre-senting many families. In 25 years it has grownto between 20,000 and 40,000 specimens fromthe Caribbean, the U.S. East Coast from Maineto Georgia, the Pacific Coast from Oregon toCosta Rica, and Hawaii.

Ms Lightfoot became interested in tiny shellswhile summering with her small children on alake in northern Michigan. she recently ex-plained to the Red Rock News of Sedona.

"We would sit on the beach and pick up fresh-water shells," she said. "To find their names, Ibought a book on shells, but it didn't show thelittle ones."

In 1970 the Lightfoots bought a beach placeat Sanibel Island, Florida, where Joanne met othercollectors and began showing her collection.

"I have a lot of curiosity and lots of patience,"she explained. "The shells are so different and soperfect. It's never boring."

She realized early in her hobby that micro-shells are an overlooked category. About 30 per-cent of its species, she estimates, have neverbeen described.

"They are so tiny they are overlooked."A resident now of Arizona, she spends a great

deal of her time at her microscope, identifying,cataloging and arranging her micromollusc col-lection. A veteran member of HMS, JoanneLightfoot visited Honolulu in the summer of1992 when she displayed her Caeicidae collec-tion at the Society's 50th anniversary shell show.

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in the sand to gather a handful of Olivellabiplkala (Sowerby, 1825), a small purple animalhe liked as an after-dive snack.

Finally at a likely spot on the beach, he en-tered the water and swam out to a depth oftwenty to twenty-five feet where he began hissearch for horsemussels. Along the Pacific Coastthis species grows singly, almost buried in sandor mud, not in colonies as many other membersof the genus do. Citku would have had to makemany dives to find five shells large and heavyenough for the job. Returning to shore, he re-trieved his collecting box and walked to a specialhouse where he could continue the preparationsfor his first whaling venture.

By the next evening the big canoe was readyto put to sea. Wearing his bearskin robe, thevillage chief emerged from the forest where hehad been praying to "the great chief above" (thesun) to "give me a whale," and to the "chiefunder the sea" for help in getting the animalashore. The villagers meanwhile had been askingtheir household spirits for support.

Beside the big canoe, the chief finallydropped the special harpoon and a set of sealskinfloats; the preparations for the whale hunt werecomplete.

As the sun began its slow drop into the sea thecanoe moved out into the open ocean under thepowerful strokes of the eight paddlers. Citkuwould have been nervous, but not afraid. Afterall, he had prepared well.

@ Copyright E.R. Cross

To be continued

USN editor emeritus Ellis Cross, now retiredand living only a few miles from rediscoveredOzette village, will continue his story of the partCitku and his special shells played in subduinghis first whale and getting it back to the Makahshore some 2,000 years ago.

Both photos: Johnson1. Grunge-collected Morum macdonaldi on the move. 2. Live Cypraea dczac from Kwajalein. The mantle isbeautiful orange red with dendritic white papillae and scattered black blotches. The whitish siphon is fringed withshort black processes. and the tentacles are orange red.

Sometimes It PaysTo Bear A Grunge

OBSERVATIONS

By Sid Sneidar*

HMS member Scott Johnson's discussion ofCypraea talpa's mantle-color variations (USNOctober 1992) sent me searching for slides takenduring my two tours on Guam in the WestemPacific during the 1970s. The exercise broughtwonderful memories.

Having finished building Scubado, my divingbarge (see photo, USN Sept 1992, p.l0), I wasactively diving on the sheltered westem side ofGuam, including Apra harbor. Anyone familiarwith Guam will recall that Apra has an inner andan outer harbor. You can always dive there, evenwhen the water is rough 'outside.'

On just such a day, with my diving partnerJim Rogers, I anchored Scubado just off the edgeof the reef on the south side of the outer harborin about 20 feet of water. We dropped to about15 feet and swam parallel to the beach. To ourright, the bottom dropped steeply (about 70°) tothe harbor bottom at 120 feet.

I began removing some large clumps of deadalgae that covered the staghom coral. Soon I hadcleared about one square metre of colonialzoanthid coelentrate Palythoa with a central de-pression. Within the depression was a "clutch"of about eight Cypraea talpa.

After the first rush of my excitement had sub-sided, I made several observations of the group.Three seemed important:

1. There were two mantle colors - one jet

black (Fig. 1) and the other a smoky translucencewith iridescent greenish white dots (Fig. 2).

2. The numbers of C. talpa with each varia-tion were about equal.

3. The animals with jet-black mantles werewithout exception smaller than the others.

Was this an example of sexual dimorphism?It was the mating season and I was reluctant

to disturb the rendezvouz. Nevertheless I re-moved two animals from the group to install inmy home aquarium.

Occasional subsequent dives in the same areaproduced no single or group finds of C. talpa.We did not, however, dig far into the reef whichis where I suspect the C. talpa spend their lives.

*1328 Ulupuni St., Kailua, HI 96734.

r".-.\.GUAM, M.I. !

IAPRA

HARBOR-- f~

By Scott Johnson*

KWAJALEIN - Occasionally on our two-orthree-tank dives at this mid-Pacific atoll, we pickup a bag of "grunge" at the end of the first orsecond dive. While waiting on the boat for ourbodies to get rid of enough nitrogen to allowanother long dive to 50 or 60 feet, we pickthrough the grunge. Although this naked-eyesorting doubtlessly misses some of the real smallmaterial, we still pick out a nice assortment oftriphorids, turrids, columbellids, and other inter-esting small shells.

Sometimes, though, something a little biggershows up.

After one dive to 100-plus feet, I dumped ahandful of grunge onto my sorting tray (actually,an old bucket lid) and saw a live l7mm. Morummacdonaldi Emerson, 1981, staring me in theface. One of the rarest of the genus, M. mac-donaldi was described from Kwajalein and, ex-cept for a fresh-dead specimen found at Pohnpei,in the Caroline Islands, by Stan Jazwinski, hasbeen collected only here.

Although very rare, specimens occasionallyare found during the day in sandy rubble or, atnight, in dropoff caves, usually those with finesandy bottoms. Almost all previous specimenswere found in the 50- to 60-foot range. thegrunge-collected specimen, which was alive, isthe deepest to date. It was also just barely matureand had the finest, most intricate sculpture on itsperfectly clean shell I've ever seen.

Recently, a grunge sample collected by Jean-ette Johnson, also at just over 100 feet, yielded aliving Cypraea ziczac Linnaeus, 1758. This maynot sound like much, but C. ziczac is one ofKwajalein's rarest cowries. Despite all the shell-ing activity out here, only three other specimenshave been found in the past four years.

..J'(

WHAT GOES AROUND. . .Long-time HMS member Scott Johnson, now

a resident of Kwajalein Atoll in the MarshallIslands of the Central Pacific but still a frequentcontributor to Hawaiian Shell News, sent anarticle last year with photos of a Mitra nivea(Broderick, 1836) attempting to devour what ap-peared to be a sipunculan ("peanut") worm(HSN May 1992, p.9).

The miter dropped its meal when Johnsonfanned its sand cover away, allowing the tide tocarry the worm off and making full identificationimpossible. ("It might have been an echiurian,"he explained.)

Subsequently, somewhere on the U.S. Main-land an editor of Discover Magazine saw theHSN photo. He phoned Honolulu to ask Scott'spermission to use it. What? He wasn't in Ha-waii? It took time to convince him that Kwaja-lein is some 2,000 miles from here. Eventuallythe editor accepted Scott's APO address as thebest HSN could do.

The picture (in color, this time) appeared inDiscover, with a somewhat more picturesqueversion of the miter's capture.

Comes now further word from Scott:"[After the report appeared in HSN] Dr. John

Taylor of the Natural History Museum, Londonsent me a paper* on the diet of coral-reef Mi-tridae. It appears that many specialize on sip-unculan (peanut) worms. (This applies to theMitridae only; species in the other large 'miter'family - the Costellariidae - have a muchwider diet that appears to include both wormsand molluscs.)

"So the fact that Mitra nivea eats peanuts isnot all that unusual. Even so, catching one actu-ally devouring such a large worm is a rare find."

).,.. t 'Taylor, J,D, 1979, "The Diet of Coral Reef Mitridae (Gas-tropoda) from Guam. . ." Journal of Natural History23:261-278.

~*Box 325. APO AP. APO 96555.

HAWAIIAN SHEil.. NEWSPage 6 June, 1993

3. Averellia (TrichlHiiscina) coactilitita Deshayes inFerussac. Apoyo Lake under rocks, near water. Twospecimens:ll.4X5.0 rom: IO.8x4.4 mm, max. diam& height.

A REPEAT HONORFOR E.R. CROSS

HSN editor emeritus Ellis Cross has receivedhis second NOG! Award from the UnderwaterSociety of America, this time for distinguishedservice to the diving industry. Two decades ago,Cross received the 1973 NOG! Award for lead-ership in scuba sports education.

The annual NOG! Awards were established in1960. Nominations and awards are made by pre-vious NOG! recipients throughout the UnitedS,tates. Skin Diver Magazine contributes thestatuette each winner receives.

Cross is one of the nation's earliest scuba pro-fessionals, having entered the field after WorldWar II following more than a decade of serviceas a U.S. Navy "hard-hat" salvage diver. At onetime he operated a successful scuba school inSouthern California and later was supervisor oftanker anchorages and oil pipelines in Hawaii.On the side, he was active as a scuba sheller anddeepwater collector. Three molluscan speciesand one subgenus of Cypraea have been namedfor him.

Retired since the late 1980s, Cross now liveson Puget Sound.

See his article on Page 3 of this issue.

SHELLS FOR SALE

THE MALACOFAUNA OF A VOLCANIC LAKE (Cont'd from Page 1)

Lameltaxis gracilis (Hutton, 1834). This snailI is found practically allover the world in tem-

perate and tropical climates and is widespread inNicaragua.

Lamellaxis micra (Orbigny, 1835). Alsofound practically anywhere in the American con-tinent in temperate zones.

Lameltaxis strebeliana (Pilsbry, 1906). Thespecies was described from Polvon, Nicaragua,

I and we have found it in several localities in Cen;tral Nicaragua.

Leptinaria lamellata (Orbigny). The distinc-tive columellar lamella of this species is some-times missing or very feeble in adult specimens.Juveniles are almost spherical.

Opeas beckianum (Pfeiffer, 1846). Lives incolonies on the surface and also buried in thesoil, often in company with the next species.

" Common in different parts of the Americas.Opeas sinistra (Martens, 1890). Quite similar

to the previous species, but sinistrally wound.Described from a single juvenile specimen fromPolvon, Nicaragua. We have no knowledge oflater reports, but have collected some ten adultspecimens in Apoyo, and more in other localitiesof Central Nicaragua. It could be simply a sin-istral form of O. beckianum, with which it isoften associated.

Euglandina cumingi (Beck, 1837). Apredatory snail. We have observed it eating othersnails and Veronicella slugs in captivity. Pilsbry(1906) put it in synonymy with E. rosea (Ferus-sac) and E. petiti (Deshayes), but in our,opinionit is a bona fide species found allover Nicaragua.

Chanomphalus elegantulus (Pfeiffer). Fairlycommon allover Nicaragua, on the surface ofthe ground, under rocks.

Glyphialinia indentata (Say, 1822). Thegenus Glyphialinia Martens, was defined forAmerican Zonitidae species, while Retinella isfor European species.

Glyphialinia stolli (Martens, 1890). Similarto the last, but smaller and with a much widerumbilicus. The animal is bright yellow and veryactive and fast (for a snail, that is!).

Praticolella griseola (Pfeiffer, 1841). Itspreferred habitat is ground level, but it is alsohappy on shrubs and trees and walls of buildings.Very abundant everywhere in Nicaragua.

Averellia (Trichodiscina) coactiliataDeshayes in Ferussac, (fig 3). Discoidal and a-domed with two dark circular bands. Found inthree other Nicaraguan localities, and always inthe vicinity of large bodies of water.

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Neocyclotus nicaraguense Bartsch, 1942,(fig.2). Many specimens, to 25 mm, have beenfound at practically all the collecting stationsaround the lake.

Among the pulmonates we have found arethese species:

Gastrocopta servilis (Gould, 1843). Veryabundant, but hard to see because of its smallsize and color which blends with the ground.According to Pilsbry it is an Antillean species,and this is the first record of the shell in ~ic-aragua.

Gastrocopta pellucida (Pfeiffer, 1841). Oftenfound with the previous species. It ranges fromthe southern United States to Ecuador, but therewas no previous record for Nicaragua.

Succinea hyalina Shuttleworth. Succineahave thin delicate shells - hyalina means glassy- and are usually found in wet habitats or evenin water, but the specimens collected in Apoyo,whether empty or live, were all in very dry loca-tions.

Bulimulus unicolor (Sowerby, 1833). Thisspecies is quite common everywhere in Nicara-gua, either on the ground or low on bushes orrocks.

Drymaeus (Drymaeus) multilineatus (Say,1825). Found on the bark of trees, especially incitrus orchards, its range is from Florida to Ven-ezuela.

Cecilioides (Karolus) consobrinus (Orbigny,1855). This and the next species are found to-gether, living in the soil well under the surface,even to a depth of 2 m. The shells are small andonly 0.5 mm thick; the animals are blind. This isa first record for Nicaragua.

Cecilioides (Geostilbia) gundlachi Pfeiffer,1850. Very similar to the previous species. Alsoa first record for Nicaragua.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

AGUAYO, C.G. 1944. "Posibilidades de la investigacionmalacologica en Cuba." Revista de la Soc. Malacol.,2(1):31

MARTENS, E. von 1900. Biologia Cenlrali-Americanae.Land and FrtShwaler Mollusca, 1-44.

PILSBRY, H.A. 19!Xi. Manual of Conchology, vol. 18.SOLEM. A. and F. CLIMO 1985. "Structure and habit correla-

tions of sympatric New Zealand land snail specieas."Malacologia, 26(1-2):1-30.

SHELL SHOWS AND MEETINGSJune to November, 1993

Where will the shell show and meeting actionbe this year? HMS Counselor Donald Dan ofFriendship, Maryland compiled the following in-ternational calendar.

Did we miss anyone?

Among the more than one hundred objects ofNative American culture featured at a "Pathwaysof Tradition" exhibition mounted last year at theAlexander Hamilton Custom House in NewYork City was a unique 13-inch conch incisedwith an image of a "falcon priest" or "eagledancer." The marine shell was bleached white bytime and the sun, and the image itself was faded.

Although its cultural significance was not ex-plained, the object is calculated to be between1,100 and 1,600 years old.

The incised shell, according to the Smithson-ian Runner, is the work of people of the

Mississippian Culture, the Temple MoundBuilders, whose center was Cahokia, a five-square-mile community of at least 10,000 per-sons close to the Mississippi River near today'sSt. Louis. Founded about A.D. 600 and occupiedfor some 700 years, Cahokia was marked bymore than 100 mounds, the largest rising 100feet.

At mound 72, just south of the city, archeolo-gists found the burial site of the "falcon priest."

Similar mounds have been found from Wis-consin to Florida, and as far west as Oklahoma.The Falcon Priest Conch was at Spiro, Okla-homa, 500 miles from Cahokia and about 400miles from the nearest salt water at Port Arthur,Texas.Photo courtesy of National Museum of American

Indian Smithsonian Institution John Jacobs

Oct. 8-10Annual German Shell FairBerlinKlaus PassanOstseestr. 410-1055 Berlin, Gennany(40) 294-669

Oct. 30British Shell Collectors' Club ShowLondonKevin Brown12 Grainger RoadIs1eworth, Middlesex TW7 6PQ, England(81) 568-8333

Nov. 6-7Philadelphia Shell ShowAI Schilling419 Linden Ave.G1enside, PA 19038(215) 886-5807(or 1-800-274-8530, toll free)

ALMOST ALL ABOUT HAWAIIThe 1991-1992 Hawaii Marine Directory

was prepared for the Ocean Resources Branch ofthe Hawaii State Department of Business, Eco-nomic Development & Tourism by the Univer-sity of Hawaii Sea Grant Extension Service. The120-page directory is in two parts. Part One is aSubject Matter Listing, organized by county(Hawaii has four). Each business or organizationis listed in up to three categories. Only namesand telephone numbers are included in thissection.

Part Two is an alphabetical listing with com-plete information. The entries are grouped intofour categories: (I) private firms, (2) associa-tions, clubs and "nonprofits", (3) research andeducation organizations, and (4) government.You will find HMS on Page 104, between theHawaiian International Billfish Association andthe Hawaiian Surfing Federation.

This directory contains a wealth of informa-tion about hundreds of groups and establish-ments. For a copy or further information, contactthe Department of Business, Economic Develop-ment & Tourism, P.O. Box 2359, Honolulu,Hawaii 96804. Tel: (808) 587-2680, Fax(808) 587-2777.

Jun. 27-Jul. IWestern Society of MalacologistsSan Diego, CaliforniaContact: Douglas EernisseMuseum of Zoology, Dept. of BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn Arbor, MI 48109(313) 747-2193

Jul. 12-16Conchologists of America ConventionPanama City, FloridaLinda & Jim Brunner,P.O. Box 8188Southport, FL 32409(904) 265-5557

Jul. 17-18Keppel Bay Shell ShowYeppoon, Queensland, AustraliaJean M. Offord277 McDougall St.N. Rockhampton, Qld. 4701(79) 283-509

Jul. 24-Aug. 1Oregon Shell ShowMaxine Hale, Show Chairman347 N.E. 136 Ave.Portland, OR 97230(503) 253-5379

Jul. 31-Aug. ITownsville Shell Show% Von Vandenburg12 Lillipilli St.Vincent 4814Townsville, Qld., Australia(77) 75-6275

Aug. 14-15Cairns Pacific International Shell ShowBabara CollinsHouse of 10,000 Shells32-34 Abbott St.Cairns 4870Queensland, Australia(70) 51-3638

Aug. 19-21Jersey Cape Shell ShowJersey Cape Shell ClubP.O. Box 124Stone Harbor, NJ 08247(609) 653-8017

Sept. 18-19Central Florida Shell ShowOrlandoLarry Stiles1505 N. Carolwood Blvd.Fern Park, FL 32730(407) 834-2176

Sept. 18-19International Shells & Fossils BourseOttmarsheim, FranceMichel Rioual2 Rue des Vergers 68490Ottmarsheim, France89-26-16-43 T J(

Page 8 HAWAIIAN SHELL NEWS June, 1993

SPEAKING OF BOOKS

THE GENUS CHICOREUS ANDRE-LATED GENERA (GASTROPODA:MURICIDAE) IN THE INDO-WESTPACIFIC. By Roland Houart. Paris: Edi-tions du Museum Paris. 1992. 188 pp, 480figs. Price not stated. (Order from UniversalBook Services, Dr. W. Backhuys, P.O.Box321,2300 AH Leiden, The Netherlands)

SHELLS FOR SALE

Nora Foster is author of this l52-page Guide to theCommon Bivalves of Alaska, published by the Uni-versity of Alaska Press in Fairbanks. It covers the coastof the 49th State from Ketchikan in the south, west-ward through the Bering Strait then northward to theArctic Ocean. More than 100 of Alaska's most com-mon bivalves are listed and described, with informa-tion to help identify species. ,

A House of Quality and Service

-' M. The very best shells,

at the very best prices

WRITE FOR FREE PRICE LIST

1575 NORTH 118th STREETWAUWATOSA, WI 53226 U.S.A.

Ponder and Vokes (1988) for Murex and Haus-tellum.

It may come as a surprise that there are rela-tively few species of these very showy shellsassociated with Pacific islands. Of the approxi-mately 60 living species of Chicoreus, Naquetiaand Chicomurex in the Indo-West Pa<;ific. onlyabout fifteen occur on the Pacific Plate. Ten arewidespread in both the Pacific and the IndianOceans. including Chicoreus laqueatus (Sow-erby, 1841), which Earle (1980) called "Hawaii'srarest Murex." Two occur only in the Pacific -Chicoreus rubescens in New Caledonia, WallisIsland and Tahiti, and C. maurus in New Cale-donia, Tahiti, the Tuamotus and Marquesas -while two are endemic to island groups: C.thomasi (Crosse 1872) in the Marquesas, andHawaii's C. insularum Pilsbry, 1921.

Of the 43 living species of Murex and Haus-tellum found in the Pacific, Ponder and Vokes(1988) record only two as far west as the Mar-shall Islands and only three additional species onthe western edge of the Pacific in Tonga and/orthe Ryukyu Islands.

Houart's Genus Chicoreus . . . is well worthhaving. The book has a nice "feel." It has anattractive soft cover, moves easily from speciesto species, and identifications are easily madefrom both descriptions and figures.

-~~ Displays At MostShell Shows

Reviewed by E. Alison Kay*

Muricids, along with cowries and cones, havereceived more than their fair share of taxonomictreatment over the years. Linnaeus' genus Murexmight be thought of as a dumping ground for alarge number of gastropod species. Radwin andD' Attilio (1976) suggest perhaps as many as2,500 presently recognized species.

It wasn't until the nineteenth century thatLamarck and other conchologists restricted"Murex" to what is today considered to be theFamily Muricidae, with as many as 800 namedspecies (Ponder and Vokes 1988).

Perhaps the best known of recent treatmentsof the Muricidae is that of Radwin and D' Attilio(1976). More recently, Ponder and Vokes (1988)revised the Indo-West Pacific fossil and Recentspecies of Murex s.s. and Haustellum, treating55 species. Comes now Roland Houart who dealswith Chicoreus and the related Naquetia and Chi-comurex in the Indo-West Pacific. Houart's workcontinues the high standard of taxonomic revisionset by Ponder and Vokes (1988).

All muricids are difficult, but Chicoreus isespecially so because the shells are so variableas to lead one to see either too many species ortoo few. Houart approaches the problem fromseveral different aspects and ends up with a read-able, informative and objective treatment. .

Among the major characters he utilizes is theprotoconch. Indeed, he says from the outset that"with an intact protoconch, the presence of thefirst teleoconch whorl, and with good localitydata, it is usually possible to determine a specieswith considerable exactitude."

The major differences in protoconch type arewhether it is acutely conical, indicating plank-totrophic development (that is, the veliger larvais in the ocean for a long time), or is composedof relatively few and large whorls, indicatingeither a very short larval period or metamorpho-sis within the capsule. Houart illustrates 85 dif-ferent protoconchs.

Radular characters were studied for only 17species; two basic types of radulae are recog-nized in Chicoreus; Naquetia and Chicomurexeach have distinctive radulae.

The systematic section of the work deals withspecies in each of the subgenera of Chicoreus,with mention of the type species, etymology,type locality, location of type material, distribu-tion and a clear, concise description of the shell.The descriptions are accompanied by maps indi-cating distribution and at least one figure of theshell. The black-and-white figures are very suc-cessful; the color figures less so as there is aconspicuous brown tinge to the color plates.

Houart's distribution records for Chicoreus,Naquetia and Chicomurex complement those of

DONALD DAN' QUALITY SPECIMEN SHELLS2620 Lou Anne Court. West Friendship, MD 21794(410) 442-1242/1942 Inquiries Welcome - No Lists

REFERENCES

Ponder, W,F. and E.H.Vokes. 1988. "A revision of the Indo-West Pacific Fossil and Recent Species of Murex s.s. andHaustellum (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Muricidae)." Recordsof the Australian Museum Supplement 8.

Radwin, G. and A. D' Attilio. 1976. Murex shells of theWorld, an Illustrated Guide to the Muricidae. StanfordUniversity Press.

*Dept. of Zoology, University of Hawaii at ManoaHonolulu, HI 96822.

News of New Species:

Volutes From Around the WorldBy Dwayne Minton*

Because of their size, great beauty and rela-tive rarity, volutes are a favorite among collec-tors. Their popularity probably is exceeded onlyby that of cones and cowries. This month, I pre-sent several new volute species.

Shells of the Family Volutidae are generallyslender with a large body whorl and low spire.The whorls are often coronated with nodules orspines, and the columella almost always haswell-developed plaits or folds. The animals are

According to Poppe, this shell has often beenconfused with F. pyrrhostoma Watson, 1882 andhas been incorrectly figured in popular shellmagazines since 1986 (but hopefully not inHSN!). F. lemaitrel differs from F. pyrrhostomain that it is more slender and the axial ribs arewavy, whereas in F. pyrrhostoma they arestraight. ,:; ,

Dredging in mud and mud/sand bottom nearthe Swain Reefs off Queensland, Australia mightturn up either of the following volutes. Nanna-moria gotoi Poppe, 1992 (Fig. 2) is a small solidshell with a low spire and three or fourteleoconch whorls that have a sculpture of spinyshoulder knobs. Eight to ten of these knobs arefound on the last whorl. The columella IS slightlycurved and has eight or nine plaits. The shell iscreamy white overlaid with a pattern of darkbrown irregular axial lines.

Australian volutes are highly variable and forthis reason several collectors have regarded thisnew species as a new form of N, parabola Gar-rard, 1960. Numerous differentiating character-

Fig. 3

Bouchet and Bail (1991) describe a new vo-lute from Saya de Malha Bank in the IndianOcean. approximately 1000 km northeast ofMauritius. The specimens were in dredge mate-rial recently obtained from Russia. Lyria douteiBouchet and Bail, 1991 (Fig. 4) is large, fusiformand solid. Teleoconch whorls have axial ribs, andthe last rib forms a thick labial varix behind theouter lip. There are eight columellar plaits and ashort siphonal canal. The shell is creamy beigewith a complex pattern of brown flammules andlines arranged in spiral bands.

L. doutei is similar to two other Indian Oceanvolutes: L. lyraeformis Emerson and Sage, 1986and L. cloveriana Weaver, 1963. It is differenti-ated by a smaller protoconch.

This new species is particularly interestingfrom an evolutionary viewpoint. Saya de MalhaBank is isolated by 2000 km of deep water fromthe African continent and its closest relative, L.lyraeformis. How it dispersed so far is uncertain,but at some time in the past it may have beenmore mobile than it is today. It could then haveused the seamounts to the south of Saya deMalha Bank and the islands of Mauritius andReunion as stepping stones.

It will be interesting to see if this new speciesor a close relative is found on either Mauritius orReunion. So all you collectors out there, keepyour eyes open. And good luck.

REFERENCES

Poppe. G. T. 1992. "New species and a new subspecies inVolutidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda)." Malacologia MonstraMondiale Cupra Marittima II. 22 pp.

Bouchet. P. and P. Bail. 1991. "Volutes from Saya de MalhaBank: the saga of Lyria surinamensis and a new species."Nautilus 105(4): 159-64.

Fig. 2

istics are present. however. according to Poppe;N. gotoi has a different color pattern. thickerouter lip and different protoconch.

Notovoluta hoskense Poppe, 1992 (Fig 3) hasno close relatives among living Volutidae of itsarea. This shell is very thick and solid and hasthree or four teleoconch whorls, with the finalwhorl measuring about two-thirds of the totalshell length. The outer lip is thick and just abovethe fourth columellar plait there is a projectionof the columellar callus giving the impression ofa fifth plait. As all of the specimens were col-lected dead, color and shell-pattern descriptionscan not be considered accurate.was dredged off Cape St. Blaize, near the south-ern tip of Africa, from mud at depths between 70and 360 meters. It is a fusifonn, high spired andsolid volute, with five or six teleoconch whorlscovered by heavy, wavy axial lines. The outer lipis slightly effuse, but not thickened as in otherspecies in the genus. It is creamy brown, some-times with a paler zone just below the periphery.A fine olive-green periostracum is present.

, Fig. I

usually brilliantly patterned with complex de-signs.

Many volutes are deep-water species, but theyalso inhabit coral reefs and shallow coastal wa-ters. They tend to hide in the sand and emergeonly to forage for food.

The life history of this animal, however, iswhat makes it particularly interesting. Volutesattach a very large egg mass to the sea bottom.From the egg capsules, small crawl-away youngemerge. There is no planktonic larval stage andthis may account for their rarity or total absencefrom oceanic islands such as Hawaii.

The presence of crawl-away young may alsoresult in species rarity. Individuals don't migrat<!very far. Therefore, species can be restricted tovery narrow ranges. If the exact location of thepopulation is not known, then the shell could bedifficult, if not impossible, to find.

Such isolation, in turn, may also account forthe enormous amount of variation within volutespecies. Isolation among populations can lead toa variety of forms en route to speciation.

G. T. Poppe (1992) presents three new volutespecies, one from South Africa and two fromQueensland, Australia. As seems to be the casewith many new species, the shells Poppe de-scribes have been present in private collectionsfor several years. So go back to your shell cabi-net and dig through it; you may find one of thesenew species.

Fusivoluta lemaitrel Poppe, 1992 (Fig. I)

* Department of Zoology, University of Hawaii

Honolulu, HI 96822 Fig. 4

Page 10 HAWAIIAN SHELL NEWS June, 1993

SHELLETTERS

likely that the nominal taxon C. mutabilis Reevemay be an objective junior synonym of C. hy-aena Hwass.

The last word on C. hyaena (as well as onmany other Conidae taxa) is still to be uttered.When it comes, it probably will be from neitherda Motta nor Roeckel and Kom, nor in Kohn'snew monograph. Certainly not from me!

Our store of knowledge increases daily andeven the most authoritative writing may be re-futed. No hypothesis is "wrong;" it simply isovertaken by new evidence. Constructive criti-cism is always needed and must not be treatedas a personal attack.

On the basis of evidence now available I con-sider [the taxon] C. mutabilis Reeve to belongto C. hyaena. Exactly which, however, is C.mutabilis? Reeve figured three specimens(above) that to this day are three syntypes [that],although quite different. in shape and size, allrepresent the taxon. But which populations dothey represent? Reeve himself apparently re-garded this species as highly variable. And let usnot forget that Reeve had mistaken Hwass's C.hyaena for C. biliosus!

The only syntype specimen now available,and therefore the only possible selection as lecto-type, would appear to be the specimen of Reeve(fig. 249c), measuring 34 x 20 mm. It seems Gabriella Raybaudi Massilia

cundity and variable recruitment success"(Grigg, 1992).

While none of the above is meant to suggestthat collecting live molluscs is any more accept-able than collecting Hawaiian honeycreepers fortheir feathers, I do hope that I have dispelled thenotion that the periodic damage done to coralreefs by the starfish is the result of triton over-collecting.

Carl Brandauer

ROMEI owe apologies to my friends Dieter Roeckel

and W. Kom for what was expressed as my con-cern in A.J. da Motta's article, "A Tragicomedyof Taxonomic Acrobatics" (HSN April 1993).The fact is that da Motta's paper had been sub-mitted to Hawaiian Shell News almost a yearbefore it was published and that several impor-tant developments had occurred in the interim.

In May 1992 I submitted to da Motta for hisreview an article intended for Hawaiian ShellNews. It happened that da Motta had much tosay on the same subject, and we agreed he wouldinclude my points in his paper [which eventuallyappeared as "A Tragicomedy. . ." etc.]. How-ever, I must make it clear that:

1. The point of my original article, "C. hy-aena: a species or a species-complex?", differedfrom da Motta's main thesis.

2. My objection to Roeckel and Kom's arti-cle was confined to their unexplained change of"type." Although this was justified by Dr.AlanKohn's subsequent selection of a specimen in theBritish Museum of Natural History, I could notunderstand their use of a not-yet-published lecto-type, a different author and date from the com-monly cited one. In fact, at the time the represen-tative of the holotype (or of the lectotype) of C.unicolor Sowerby, 1834 (sic; see below) wasstill the original figure indicated by Tomlin andby Coomans, Moolenbeck and Wils in 1985:"the whereabouts of the specimen are unknown. . . For the identification of C. concolor only thetype figure is available. . ."

That figure had been attached to so manydifferent taxa in the literature that, in my opinion,it should have been regarded as a nomen dub-ium. In proposing a new status, Roeckel andKom were the actual revisers and should at leasthave explained themselves.

My unpublished article concluded with a la-ment about generally unilateral selections of du-bious lectotypes or neotypes and a wish that Dr.Kohn (in his forthcoming work) would provideprevious revisers of C. concolor with a satisfac-tory explanation for his lectotype, so differentfrom the original figure.

After his book appeared I queried Dr. Kohndirectly and he was kind enough to explain hisdecision (pers. com.):

REFERENCESBirkeland, C. & I.S.Lucas (1990). Acanthaster planci: major

management problem of coral reefs. Boca Raton, FL:CRC Press.

Chesher, R,C. (1969). "Destruction of Pacific coral by the seastar Acanthaster planci." Science, 165,280-283.

Endean, R. (1974). "Ancanthaster planci on the Great BarrierReef." In: A.M. Cameron, B.M. Campbell, A.B. Cribb, R.Endean, I.S. lell, a.A. lones & F.H. Mather. Proc. 2nd Int,Coral Reef Symp. Vol. I, (pp.563-576), Brisbane: GreatBarrier Reef Committee.

Endean, R. & W. Stablum (1975). "Population explosions ofAcanthaster planci and associated destruction of the hard-coral cover of reefs of the Great Barrier Reef. Australia."Environ. Conserv., 2, 247-256.

Grigg, R.W. (1992). "Coral reef environmental science: truthversus the Cassandra syndrome." Coral Reefs, II, 183-186.

Building the Education FundThe Hawaiian Malacological Society is recog-

nized by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service as anon-profit educational organization. Contribu-tions in cash or in kind to the HMS EducationFund or to support Hawaiian Shell News may bedeductible on U.S. income tax returns.

SHELL ETTERS

BOULDER,COLORADOIt is indeed welcome news that live-shell col-

lection on Mauritius has been brought undercontrol (HSN March 1993, p.6). It is unfortu-nate, however, that the same item. . . perpetu-ates the myth that the removal of Charoniatritonis from a reef causes an outbreak of thecrown-of -thorns starfish, Acanthaster planci.

The hypothesis was first voiced in the late1960s (Endean and some of his co-workers wereits most outspoken proponents) that C. tritonis isa major predator of A. planci and that its over-collecting leads to an A. planci outbreak causingmajor damage to the coral reefs they inhabit (En-dean, 1974; Endean & Stablum, 1975).

On the other hand, Chesher as early as 1969reported that when a triton and a starfish werekept in an aquarium, only a portion of the starfishwas eaten before it escaped and " . . . lived toregenerate the lost parts." Furthermore, hepointed out," . . . large populations of the seastars occur in parts of Palau and Rota which areseldom visited by shell collectors and wherethese gastropods [C. triton is] are common."(Chesher, 1969).

Similar comments have been made by Birke-land concerning starfish outbreaks on the un-populated north shore of Tutuila Island, Ameri-can Samoa (Birkeland & Lucas, 1990) and byGrigg in a recent issue of Coral Reefs: ". . .today, most scientists agree that [A. planci] -population fluctuations are more likely due tonatural year-class variations caused by high fe-

Perhaps my explanation of the lectotypeof C. concolor Sowerby, 1841 [not 1834!]was not sufficiently clear. I concluded thatthe BMNH specimen is almost certainly theone illustrated [in Conchologia Iconica]and thus I selected it as lectotype. The shelland figure are almost identical in size andcolour pattern. In the book (fig. 505) I illus-trated only the aperture view, because itprovides more information. Unfortunatelyin their 1992 article Rockel and Kom alsoused only my photo of the aperture view.Also unfortunatlely, I have only a poor pho-tocopy of the C.I. illustration but, if I recallcorrectly, it shows a repair scar in the sameposition as on the shell.

So I believe this solves the nomencla-tural problem of C. con color Sowerby,1841. Of course it does not solve the bio-logical problem of its species determina-tion; Roeckel and Kom addressed this intheir article.I thank Dr. Kohn for the explanation. I con-

sider this chapter closed.Gabriella Raybaudi Massilia

June. 1993 HAWAIIAN SHELL NEWS Page 11

THE CORAL BUSTERSTRIKES AGAIN

Have you ever gone scuba diving in search fora particular species of shell - and found one? Agreat feeling, what? Three members of tht; Ha-waiian Malacological Society recently pulled offthat trick - and have pictures to prove their

succe~s.Dave "Woody" Woodman and Ron Beckwith

Biggest gloriamaris ofThem All?

Honolulu Fire Captain and veteran HMS member MelPang displays a "perfect" eight inch (2Omm) Conusgloriamaris, obtained recently at a local "swap meet"(flea market). It is a startlingly realistic ceramic copyof one of the world's highest priced shells.

By Scott Johnson*

KWAJALEIN - Why do so many live colo-nies of branching coral (Acropora) have theircentral branches all broken out? I have wonderedfor quite a while what could be doing it?

Most of the shell collectors around here seempretty good about not wrecking live coral or tooseriously changing the habitat. But people comeand go all the time. Could new shellers, unawarethat shells really don't like live coral, be usinghammers and wrecking bars on the living reef tosearch for prizes? I figured I'd better keep my

eyes open.Recently, I caught the culprit. It was an insid-

ious hunter, all right, but he wasn't after shellsalone and he was definitely not human.

I was on the reeftop breathing the last of mythird tank of scuba air that day, having beenforced into shallow water by the ever- diminish-ing "Time Remaining" number on my dive com-puter. Nearing the boat, I heard a sharp "crack."

A quick check revealed my bones to be intact,and the faceplate of my mask still held out water.Puzzled, I looked around just in time to see alarge trigger fish, Balistoides viridescens, movein and bite the central area of a bush of Acropora.Another" crack" and the fish backed away withan entire coral branch in his jaws.

He spit this out and moved back in for an-other. As the coral colony was opened up, thispiscine wrecking bar, along with opportunisticwrasses, feasted on the scurrying crabs, shrimpand small gobies, and even munched. down avermetid mollusk that lived among the coralbranches.

Watching the big trigger demolish the livingcoral brought back memories of Enewetak Atollwhere, for over two years, I visited a particularreef each week to count nudibranchs. This reefhad a resident trigger who became very tame.Every time I was in the area, he accompanied mefrom rock to rock. When I turned over the rocksto look undemeath for nudibranchs, the triggerwould come in to look for dinner.

To keep him from munching on snails (andalso to keep his nasty big teeth and strong jawsaway from my tender flesh), I would feed himone of the spiny black sea urchins (Echinothrix),common under the rocks. An urchin (well, sev-

eral) a day kept the trigger busy.The fish had two ways to get through the

spines and into the edible innards: he would ei-ther blow water on the urchin to turn it over,exposing its shorter-spined and more vulnerableunderside, or he would slowly bite down thespines until he could reach and crunch the centralbody shell.

As soon as he'd finish off an urchin, he'dcome right back to stare at me with those big,impatient eyes and open and close his mouth inwhat sure looked like heavy breathing. Oftenhe'd have spines stuck in his lips from the pre-vious snack. He was a formidable sight; it keptme motivated to find him more urchins.

The havoc wreaked by single trigger fishesdrives home the point that biological processeson a living reef are not all constructive. They canbe destructive as well. As fast as something getsbuilt out there, something else comes along totear it down!*Rnx 12~APO AP APO 9ti~~~

of Honolulu, both experienced local divers andcollectors, displayed a video of their triumph atthe May meeting of the Society. The exception-ally fine, clear and convincing footage was takenby a new HMS member, Val Darkin of Vladivos-tok, a Russian scientist who recently visited Ho-nolulu (see HSN April 1993, p.lO).

Woody and Ron took Darkin on the dive spe-cifically to show him the habitat of Homalo-cantha anatomica (Perry, 1911), known famil-iarily to Hawaii folks as the Pele Murex. "Peles"are found on ledges around the island of Oahu(Honolulu) at depths of 40 to 50 feet.

Murex pete usually is elaborately camou-flaged with calcareous deposits so that it is al-most indistinguishable from the rock and deadcoral on which it lives.

"To find a 'pele,' you have to move veryslowly and look carefully for anything [on thesubstrate] that doesn't look like it belongs there,or is out of place, something as small as a singlebump," explained Beckwith.

He searched a dozen square feet of "PeleLedge" off Leeward Oahu for 20 minutes to findtwo shells. They were virtually undetectable.

During their hour-long search for the benefitof Darkin and his video camera, Beckwith andWoodman said, they found about 20 specimens,of which only two were good enough to keep.The others, either too small or too heavily en-crusted, were returned to the ledge.

On the same dive, they were able to showDarkin the habitat of Cypraea granulata Pease,1862 and C. tessellata Swainson, 1822, bothlocal favorites.

For their second dive with their visitor, Ronand Woody went to Kahana Bay on the Wind-ward side of Oahu.

"We worked in 25 to 45 feet of water," theysaid, "but we didn't collect many shells. We didsee some tiger cowries (C. tigris schilderianaCate, 1%1) under the ledges. You can't missthem. They look like big light bulbs."

Their final dive was on Fort KamehamehaReef in the Pearl Harbor entrance channel inabout 15 feet of water, with reduced visibilityand heavy surge. As a consequence, the videoquality was low but the shelling results were

high."We were able to show Darkin the habitats of

several cowry species under coral and in therubble," said Woodman. He mentioned Cypraeaschilderorum Iredale, 1939, C. granulata, C.tessellata, C. semiplota Mighels, 1845, andC. isabella Linnaeus, 1758. All were visible onthe screen.

The presentation was far superior to most un-derwater video efforts in both lighting and sta-bility. Darkin, who did the camera work, uses aSony Camcorder, the speakers said.

Dwayne Minton

Page 12 HAWAIIAN SHELL NEWS June, 1993

Other acquisitions being curated came fromDr. Tom and Beatrice Burch of Honolulu, activemembers of the Hawaiian Malacological Soci-ety, who presented some 4,271 cypraeids col-lected by Tom's mother, the late Mrs. Rose L.Burch (see HSN March 1993, p.9), who broughtthem to Hawaii from her California home in1987.

HMS founding member Charles Allen do-nated more than 1,300 local marine molluscs,many collected in Hawaiian waters a half-cen-tury or more ago. Undocumented specimens areto be used in the HMS and the Museum's edu-cational programs in Allen's name.

Eighteen specimens of Hawaiian and Florid-ian Caecidae, figured last year in HawaiianShell News (see HSN July 1992), came fromJoanne Lightfoot of Sedona, Arizona. From FarEastern Russia, four marine molluscs werebrought to Honolulu by Val Darkin of Vladivos-tok (see HSN April 1993). They have been iden-tified as Pecten jessoensis, Boreotrophoncandelabrum, Tritonalia (Oceanebra?) japon-ica, and Neptunea lyrata.

HMS director Richard May offered a Nucu-lidae from Korea, while Domingo Cravalho ofthe plant quarantine service of the Hawaii De-partment of Agriculture presented a Chlamyshericuis.

To date, more than 80 percent of the foregoingdonations have been processed and are availablefor research. The remainder, along with earlierbacklogs, are being sorted, identified, docu-mented and prepared for the permanent collec-tion.

A catalog of marine mollusca types de-posited at the Bishop Museum is expectedto be completed soon and submitted forpublication, according to collection techni-cian Regie Kawamoto. A database usingsome of the recently acquired specimens isbeing tested.

By Regina Kawamoto*

The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum in Ho-nolulu has acquired about a dozen major marinemollusc collections in the past couple of yearsand has integrated them in its already extensiveholdings.

In step with the refurbishing of the Museum'sPacific landshell collection (see HSN May 1993)and the arrival of a new collection manager andtwo technicians to rehouse the land snails, cura-torial work on the marine molluscs i~. being con-tinued.

One of our major recent donors is long-timeHawaiian Malacological Society member Wes-ley M. Thorsson of Honolulu. He deposited4,242 specimens of the Turridae, 5,226 Mitridae,1,891 Costellariidae, 225 Cypraeidae, more than1,150 specimens of Terebridae, 536 Pyramid-ellidae, 249 other gastropods and 37 bivalves, allcollected from the Hawaiian Islands, mainlyOahu (Honolulu).

In addition, Thorsson donated 221 marinemolluscs from Samoa, plus 22 binders of fieldand specimen notes, along with photos.

The Bishop Museum is further fortunate to bea repository for type specimens from Dr. JamesH.McLean, Malacologist at the Los AngelesCounty Museum of Natural History, from ClayCarlson of Guam, and Fabio H.A.Costa of Cali-fornia. These are welcome additions to our al-ready important collection of more than 590holotypes, para types and other designated"types" from such renowned malacologists asJens Ostergaard, H.A. Pilsbry, Harald Rehder,Harry S. Ladd, C.M. Burgess, E. Alison Kay,Crawford Cate, Walter O. Cernohorsky, CharlesEdmondson, Winston Ponder and Michael Had-field.

Dr. McLean has donated 130 specimens ofhydrothermal vent limpets of which 125 areparatypes (Lepetodrilus elevatus, L.e. galriften-

A rejuvenated and augmented display ofmostly Hawaiian molluscs is in the works forthe Bishop Museum's Polynesian Hall. Itwill be based on a collection created morethan 40 years ago by HMS pioneer KarlGreene and augmented later by WilliamChristensen for the original HonoluluChildren's Museum. Over the years, manyHMS members contributed to the collection,which in the 1970s was at the Bishop Mu-seum. Preparation of the new display is in thehands of Museum maiacologist Rob Cowie,collection technician Regie Kawamoto,George Cook, Vela Beckwith, E. Alison Kay,Dwayne Minton, all HMS members, backedby collection technician Nancy Young, DaveKimble and Marge Wong of the Exhibits sec-tion and Roseanne Brown in the Museum'seducational O'hia Project.

PUBLICATION NOTICES

Papers on Neogene MolluscsThe late Axel Olsson (1889-1977) is widely

regarded as one of this century's most importantauthorities on Cenozoic molluscs of the westernhemisphere.

A facsimile reprint of three of Olsson's mostsought-after works - "Some Neogene Molluscafrom Florida and the Carolinas," by Olsson andR.E. Petit (1964), "Some Tertiary Mollusks fromSouth Florida and Caribbean," by Olsson (1967),and "Notes on Siphocypraea;" by Olsson andPetit (1967) - has been announced by the Pale-ontological Research Institution (PRI) of Ithaca,New York. Richart Petit has written a newforword, and Donald Moore has prepared a com-plete Olsson bibliography.

~-"'-,Bishop Museum Collection Technician Regina Kawa-moto and HMS veteran Wesley Thorsson at the Mala-cology collection.

sis, L. fucensis, L. ovalis and L. pustulosus, allMcLean, 1988). Dr. Carl J.Berg Jr.'s generousgift of 1,464 thin-section slides ;)nd 444 pre-served specimens of the giant bivalve Calypto-gena magnifica Boss and Turner, 1980, the

limpet Neomphalus fretterae McLean, 1981,and several still-undescribed species collectedfrom the Galapagos Rift and the East PacificRise complement McLean's donation.

Type material of Guam's opisthobranchs,Ilbia mariana, Halgerda malesso, H. guahan,and H. brunneomaculata, all described by ClayCarlson and Pat J. Hoff, 1990, along with a para-type of Cancellaria ghiorium Costa from FabioCosta, has been entrusted to the Bishop Mu-seum.

Two significant private collections - one ofJune and Horace Tuttle (via their son, Dr. MerlinTuttle of Austin, Texas) and the other of Mansonand Anna Valentine of Florida - were acquiredin 1990. The Tuttle collection of 604 marine

molluscs, mainly from Hawaii between 1928and 1955, includes material from such well-re-membered "old timers" as Thaanum, Spicer,Burgess and "Chuck" Allen. The well-kept col-lecting data accompanying the specimens greatlyenhances the value of this collection.

The Valentines, in addition to giving a largecollection of land snails from Florida and Cuba,donated more than 3,500 marine specimens from

Hawaii, Australia, Mauritius, Panama, Italy, Fiji,the West Indies, the Galapagos, and many other

places. Included are specimens gathered by oneof Hawaii's pioneer shell collectors, Ted Dranga,who was Anna Valentine's first husband. Thesenow complement the extensive Ditlev Thaanumcollection of Hawaii marine molluscs already inthe Museum.

* Collection technician

Malacology collectionBishop Museum, Honolulu