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Lei
Lei All further specimens (only three more in as many years) were again found at night, between 10 and 12 p.m., and always during the first to second hour of the incoming tide. What struck me as very strange was that, uncommon as the species seemed to be, on these few night occasions quite a colony of them could usually be seen, emerging from the sand at nearly the same moment, moving about for a while., then all vanishing together as quickly and mysteriously as they had come. Specimens not taken (and I never collected more than 2 or 3 on each occasion) disappeared, however, completely, and were never seen again, although I undertook long searches on following nights. Once also I had been diving and hunting in the area for two nights preceding a sudden appearance, but none were seen then. As my huntings usually covered a several hour period from just before low tide to mid tide, I cannot explain these strange and irregular appearances and disappearances. I did notice though that shells seemed to form close colonies, as sizes and weights were fairly constant within one finding but varied from one time to the next. Shells of one locality were also consistently larger and heavier than those from the other.
The two pictured specimens, measuring about 53 and 56mm, were found in Saluafata on the north coast of Upolu, Western Samoa, on 23rd June, 1961, and 9th October, 1962 respectively. The dark brown dorsal blotch on the upper specimen is unique; none of the other shells found shows any trace of it.
For those who would like to puzzle for themselves over the strange behavior of this species I will add the dates of the other findings, viz. 11th Sept., '63, and 28th Oct., '63. These last two findings were preceded and followed by especially intensive searches in this area over many months, at various states of the tides and up to 2 o'clock in the morning! Shells appeared only on those two dates, not before and not after, and within half an hour of their first appearance they had already started to re-bury themselves, with none left in view after one hour.
Just two miles from teeming Waikiki Beach, and a scant one mile off Diamond Head, is a spot on the chart known to local divers as the "100 Foot Hole." If someone were to ask me, "What is the 100 Foot Hole?", I would have to answer "It isn't."
It isn't 100 feet deep; it's only about 85 feet. And it isn't a "hole", it's a giant piece of lava, perhaps belched out of Diamond Head crater in ages past, pierced by a criss-cross of tunnels and surrounded by smaller pieces of lava and coral chunks.
Basically the ocean bottom in the area is a hard, gently sloping, coral plain covered with a thin deposit of sand, silt, and marine growth. Scattered here-and-there will be found patches of algae. Under the coral and rock chunks will be found sandy-silt and shells. Just seaward of the "hole" a steep sloping ocean bottom plunges to considerable depth with occasional flat areas a few square yards wide. In the flat areas will be found pen shell (Pinna) beds and, feeding on these, Cassis cornuta.
Lei North shore waves, small one's compared to last winter's giant 50 and 60 footers, are still washing some fine shells up onto the beaches. Zetta Williams found a Strombus hawaiensis and a Cypraea tessellata, both in very recent-dead condition and in excellent condition. Zetta also found Bursa bufonia, live, in a tide pool.
Ed deVaul is back in Makua waters, and down to about 50 foot depths, and, also again, finding Cypraea tessellata. This time, on one dive, he collected four C. tessellata from under one coral slab.
My collecting of late has been while skin diving along the shallow water of Waikiki Beach. My swimming is mainly for exercise but I also collect whatever I see. Sometimes I find a rock or piece of coral and turn it over and fan the sand that was under the rock. My finds are seldom shells but they are always interesting. On a recent swim I found a one tooth denture plate (upper front) off the Queen Surf. I also found a 14 Karat, white gold wedding ring. Both were "collected" in 4 to 6 feet under sand. The ring may be claimed by identifying the initials in the band. Write me c/o Sean Raynon Sabado or call 734-2717.
From Richard M. Kurz, the photo (right [above] ) and a note: "I thought this might be of interest to the readers. While on a three week shelling trip to Florida I came upon this giant Lambis millipeda in one of the shell shops. It is 8" long, whereas the average shell is around 5-1/2 to 6 inches. Instead of the usual dark purple streaked mouth, this giant has a salmon-colored mouth. And instead of the brown mottled back this one has a clear ivory back. Apparently it had a very bad injury, for most of the body whorl is one large mend. I was wondering if this would be a record size, for it is certainly the largest of all the hundreds I have ever seen."
Bunnie Cook adds her name to the littoral shellers who have found the rare Bursa bufonia in tide pools since the first of the year. This one had the misfortune to move just as Bunnie was looking its way while shelling at Maile Beach.
Several Philippine divers have found C. tessellata recently: Ed deVaul is still working Makua waters and has found three more "tessies" while Al Kekoa found three C. tessellata under one rock in 70' of water at Moanalua Bay.
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