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Pearls
In his paper Crawford Cate gave statistical notes on (7) C. chinensis from Philippines. The formula of these (7) specimens is
34/70, 15:16 (reduced). However, (3) of these specimens are only 67%, 68%, and 69% in width in relation to the shell's
length. My own shells of C. chinensis from Mauritius have a mean width of 67% of the shell length, and also have a produced
marginal callus. A shell of C. chinensis from Diego Suarez which Dautzenberg named C. chinensis variolaria - variation
convergens is 69% in width in relation to its length. (See illustration in Dautzenberg's collection of Cypraeidae). Crawford
Cate based his separation of the Philippines amiges on the following characteristics: The Philippines shells are broader (67%
- 74% in width in relation to the length), they have a more produced marginal callus, which is marked with spots of a deep
violet color, the teeth are less numerous in amiges and extend as concave ridges onto the broad fossula. Cate further
mentions the design of the dorsal lacunae. However, every active field collector who has handled hundreds of specimens of a
species, is aware of the extreme variability of a species even if it comes from the same locality. Since the colour hues and
dorsal design within a species from the same locality are extremely variable, this characteristic, which is by no means
constant, does not constitute a valid argument in favor of separation and should be disregarded.
The diagnostic characteristics of amiges as outlined by C. Cate, are present in other races of C. chinensis as follows: The
greater width of amiges is present in specimens of C. chinensis variolaria from Mauritius. The fewer teeth of amiges are
identical to the number of teeth in specimens of variolaria from Mauritius and come very close to those of C. chinensis
sydneyensis and C. chinensis violacea. It should be remembered that the tooth count of a given species in a population can
vary as much as plus or minus (3) teeth from the mean, or (6) teeth in individuals. The concave ridges (inner denticles)
extending onto the fossula are by no means a prerogative of amiges, but are distinct on specimens of C. chinensis in my
collection, and those which came from the Philippines, Mauritius and Fiji.
The few peculiarities of amiges as mentioned by C. Cate are present in almost every race of C. chinensis, but come closest to
specimens of variolaria from Mauritius (and possibly from other parts of the central Indian Ocean). The only small difference
between the subspecies variolaria and amiges is the 6% greater width of amiges as compared with Schilder's statistical
figures, and only 3% as compared with my own actual specimens from Mauritius. This is a greater width of 1-1/2 mm. and 3/4mm.
respectively in a shell of 25mm. length, and is insignificant.
Cate also stresses the rarity of C. chinensis in Philippines and that it occupies a different ecological niche as compared
with specimens of C. chinensis in other localities. C. chinensis is rare in Australia, and extremely rare in Fiji. C.
chinensis had been dredged in Sydney harbor from deep water. Dr. A. Kay pointed out in one of her papers the reasons for the
shift in ecological habitat of Philippines Cypraea as compared with shells of the same species from other Pacific localities.
Not only C. chinensis but the majority of Philippines Cypraea have a different benthic range as compared with Cypraea from
other parts of the Pacific region. Ecological habitat of a given species of Cypraea may vary in a locality as small as Fiji:
C. mappa viridis is usually found in shallow water in Fiji, however, in one locality C. mappa lives only at a depth of 30
feet, and is never collected in shallow water.
Both men decided to make a "'Molluscan Survey" of the coast by dredging and skin-diving from Rio de Janerio to Rio Grande do
Norte including the Fernando de Noronha Ids. which are located 800 kilometers from the mainland. In so doing, they collected
over 50 species of shells not recorded from this area, as well as over 20 species thought to be new to science.
Off Bahia, they collected over six specimens of the rare Strombus goliath and were able to lay out the growth series shown on
page 5 [above].
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