New Series No. 62 -- February, 1965 -- VOL. XIII No. 4
[use SEARCH function to find area of interest]
Three Cypraea guttata From New Guinea
Shelling Areas On Oahu - Part IV
? World Size Record Cypraea childreni Gray
| Photos - Hayes --- not to scale |
two aspects of van Eck's C. guttata from Talwat Village; length 68mm. |
  Figs. 3, 4; a juvenile specimen from Tavui; length 59mm. |
  Figs. 5, 6; a 51mm guttata from the Korere district. |
With the accent on shells, and their value (Hoerler specimen of C. gloriamaris selling for $2000 after having been purchased for a few shillings) all 25,000 coastal natives in the Gazelle Peninsula are conducting an almost feverish hunt for shells. The result is that interesting specimens can be purchased by collectors in the native market and other places.
One such collector is Carl van Eck, a Health Inspector with the Papua and New Guinea Department of Health. In the course of his work van Eck travels extensively in the Gazelle Peninsula, and his interest and knowledge of shells is well known to the local natives. Consequently he recognized immediately a Cypraea guttata when it was produced with other shells at Talwat Village, about 4 miles from Rabaul. The shell was purchased with other less rare shells from a native woman for a small sum, and van Eck returned to Rabaul, certain that he had a C. guttata but at the same time heading for the nearest reference books. The drawing in Tucker Abbott's Sea Shells of the World confirmed his hopes. The shell had a puncture hole in one side, was fairly dull in gloss and measured approx. 68mm in length.
A few days later van Eck was near Tavui, about six miles on the other side of Rabaul, when he was again offered a C. guttata. This shell was not full formed, had a good gloss, and had some smell of decaying mollusk in it when purchased for a shilling or so. It measured about 59mm in length.
During the course of the next week he was again offered a third C. guttata in neighboring Korere district. This shell was well formed, though only about 51mm in length, and was dullish in color.
To date his extreme good fortune has not been extended though he lives in hopes that more will come his way. All shells are extremely light in weight, and bear the characteristic fawn brown color with conspicuous white spots of varying size on the dorsum. Teeth extend across the base, sometimes forked, and over the sides in bright red ridges.
van Eck can give no information to support the claim made that a C. guttata found off Malaita in the British Solomon Islands during 1963 was found in the stomach of a fish. Certainly no information was volunteered to him by the sellers of these rare shells, and in his excitement to acquire them, it did not occur to him to ask the natives. It is very doubtful that the original finders could be located and that they would give the correct information the local Tolai native has a habit of giving the answer he thinks will most please you.
The discovery and acquisition of these shells by van Eck was in the latter months of 1964, and they are still in his possession at date of writing.
Joyce Allen, in Cowry Shells of World Seas says -
"Like all rare shells, it is difficult to ascertain how many there really are in world collections. In the past, the same one was sold again and again, so appeared periodically in different collections. It is assumed now that there are certainly less than a dozen specimens known, the majority of which will be in Museum collections."
Before the discovery of the Conus gloriamaris in Rabaul, there were 25 known in world collections. During the following twelve months, Rabaul and other adjacent areas extended the total to at least 38. Now that the accent is on rare Cypraea, it is possible that the known C. guttata will be doubled in the next twelve months!!!
The collecting area to be discussed this month is basically a tourist area just a few minutes drive from Waikiki. But it is also an area that has produced, and still does produce, some excellent shelling, both for the reef crawler and the skin and SCUBA diver. The tremendously varied underwater geological formations provide for an equally varied assortment of shell life.
The shallow fringing reef that extends from Black Point to Kawaihoa Point on the tip of Koko Head affords an easily accessible area for the collector who likes to use the look-box or mask, fins, and snorkel. This area is usually quiet, being well inside the breakers (except in Kona weather) Trade winds are mostly blocked by Koko Head, further restricting the wave action.
There are few tidal currents but a collector must be alert for the possibility of out-rushing water in the deep water between reef sections called sand channels. Water washed up onto the reef by waves flows back into deep water through these channels thus preventing the growth of coral. In a beach area a similar current might be referred to as a rip tide. They can be hazardous in that they wash the swimmer out into deep water but need not be dangerous. Swim across the current until into the water flowing toward shore. Swim with the shoreward-traveling water until back in a shelling area.
Another reef area is just inshore of Manana Island, known locally as Rabbit Island. The inshore side of this reef is quite free of waves and strong currents. However, the seaward side is sometimes affected by rather strong and potentially hazardous currents.
Waimanalo Bay is suitable for skin diving in light to moderate trade wind weather. It does become quite rough, and is frequently murky, during strong trades. Shells are often found washed up on the sandy beach area just North of Makapuu Point. This is also a favorite body surfing and swimming spot. There are restroom facilities and beach showers available here.
Most of the remaining area discussed in this month's map is more suitable for SCUBA diving, preferably from a boat. Some hardy divers swim out from Haunama Bay and Blow Hole to collect from 30 to 60 feet of water. This can be dangerous because of the strong currents that frequently flow along this shore, sometimes reaching a velocity of 3 knots.
There is a boat launching ramp in Maunalua Bay approximately as shown on the map. In reasonable weather boats can proceed around Koko Head to the Haunama Bay, Blow Hole area.
Skip and Rita Cowell, diving from their Boston Whaler that they launched at the ramp, recently collected several fine shells a few dozen yards on the Makapuu Point side of the Blow Hole. Included in their days finds were the following:
Cypraea scurra - under coral
Cypraea chinensis - under small coral slabs
Cypraea fimbriata - in coral heads
Cypraea teres - in coral heads
Cypraea helvola - in coral heads
Cypraea tigris - in the open on coral shelf
Cypraea leviathan - under coral
Conus pertusus - under coral in sand
Bursa siphonata - on coral
They also collected a black coral tree nearly 2 feet across by over a foot high in 35 feet of water near the cliffs. Bob Ridgeway, collecting with them, found an excellent specimen of Charonia tritonis. Other shells reported from specific areas are as follows:
BLACK POINT AREA
Conus rattus - in coral
Cypraea helvola - on coral
Hydatina physis - tide pool
Balcis cumingi - sand pocket
BLOW HOLE AREA
Acanthochiton viridis - on rocks
Cellana melanostoma - on rocks
Cerithium baeticum - tide pools
Cerithium thaanumi - tide pools
Columbella varians - tide pools
Conus catus - tide pools
Conus chaldaeus - tide pools
Conus ebraeus - tide pools
Conus sponsalis - tide pools
Conus imperialis - 50 feet in sand
OFF DIAMOND HEAD
Cellana melanostoma - in sand
Charonia tritonis - under coral ledge
Conus pennaceus - in sand
Conus textile - in sand under coral
Cypraea tigris - in 18 feet on coral
Siphonaria normalis - on rocks
HANAUMA BAY AREA
Bulla adamsi - 1 to 3 ft. on rocks
Bulla peaseana - 1 to 3 ft. on rocks
Cerithium sinense - 1 to 3 ft. in sand
Cerithium thaanumi - 1 to 3 ft. in sand
Charonia tritonis - no data
Columbella varians - 1 to 3 ft.
Conus catus - 1 to 3 ft.
Conus chaldaeus - 1 to 3 ft.
Conus flavidus - 1 to 3 ft.
Conus lividus - 1 to 3 ft.
Conus miliaris - 1 to 3 ft.
Conus nussatella - no data
Conus rattus - 1 to 3 ft.
Cypraea caputserpentis - 1 to 3 ft. on coral
Cypraea fimbriata - 1 to 3 feet under coral
Engina billeheusti - 1 to 3 ft.
Epitonium pyramis - 1 to 3 ft.
Mitra astricta - 1 to 3 ft.
Mitra baldwini - 1 to 3 ft.
Mitra cucumerina - 1 to 3 ft.
Mitra litterata - 1 to 3 ft.
Nassa francolinus - 1 to 3 ft. (also in deep water)
Nassarius reeveanus - 1 to 3 ft.
Natica sagittata - 1 to 3 ft.
Nerita neglecta - on rocks
Nerita picea - on rocks
Purpura affinis - 1 to 3 ft.
Purpura harpa - 1 to 3 ft.
KAHALA BEACH
Terebra dimidiata - in sand (length 5-5/8")
OFF KOKO HEAD (On the ledge on the inshore side of Koko Head)
Cypraea tigris
OFF KULIOUOU (Hawaii Kai) AREA
Cassis cornuta
OFF LANIKAI
Cypraea lynx - 1 ft. deep on side of Mokulua Id.
Cassis cornuta - outside reef 50 to 100 ft.
Conus leopardus - inside reef 1 to 8 ft.
Murex pele - in deep water off the drop off
Cypraea carneola - 35 ft. under rocks.
Many other species have been found in this area but have not been reported except in conservations [sic] which have been forgotten.
MAKAPUU POINT
Cypraea semiplota - no data
Cypraea tessellata - no data
Cypraea tigris - no data
Conus imperialis - sand 40 ft.
REEFS AND TIDEPOOLS OFF PORTLOCK ROAD (Koko Head shoreline of Maunaloa Bay)
Cypraea caputserpentis - tide pools
Drupa morum - tide pool
Drupa recina - tide pool
Epitonium pyramis - tide pool
Nassa francolinus - tide pool
Patella talcosa - tide pool
Umbraculum sinicum - tide pool.
WAIMANALO - RABBIT ISLAND AREA
Conus bandanus - no data
Conus lividus - no data
Conus retifer - inside masses of dead coral
Conus striatus - in sand
Ianthina fragilis - beach
Strombus maculatus - 1 to 3 ft.
Cypraea maculifera - on coral 30 ft.
Murex pele - under coral 40 ft.
Cypraea granulata - under coral 40 ft
The Hawaiian Malacological Society's manual HELPFUL HINTS FOR SHELL HUNTERS is strongly recommended reading for the beginner in Hawaiian collecting. Chapter 1, A Beach Collectors Log, by Harold Baker is an encouraging bit of reading for the beach collector. Hand Dredging for Shells, by Elizabeth Harrison and Harold Jewell offers many suggestions for getting the deep water dwellers without diving (Chapter V). Another interesting chapter, by Jim and Gertrude Andrus, is Fanning Sand for Shells in which there are many tips for finding the sand dwellers. Chapter XI, Time and Tide conditions, by Evelyn Gage is also a real help in planning the collecting day. Then there is the Map of Shelling Beaches and the Habitat Locator developed by Spencer Tinker and R. Gage. This manual, from cover to cover, is truly full of HELPFUL HINTS FOR SHELL COLLECTORS.
 |
| Photo - Weaver --- Natural Size |
