|
|
Luhuanus
Luhuanus The presence in Reunión and Mauritius of C. contaminata is not so surprising as that of C. mariae and C. beckii, since C. contaminata's range is known to include the Indian Ocean from Ceylon to Zanzibar and East Africa.
When questioned about this reported extension of the known range of the three sea shells, Dr. C. M. Burgess, author of The Living sea shells commented: "I believe that the collection of these sea shells in such numbers and under the given circumstances is positive evidence that they exist there in the living state."
Among the many Caribbean shells which I collected at Curaçao is the striking species Strombus gallus Linné, the Rooster Conch. During an eight month stay over there, I only collected seven live specimens at depths varying from four to fifteen feet. Five of them were found between turtle grass, one in sand and one was crawling over old tree leaves, which were covering the bottom over quite an extensive area.
The shell has an average length of five inches, is solid and has blunt spines at the shoulder of the last whorl. Whorls nine to ten, that increase regularly in size. The outer lip is extended at the top into a narrow wing which is longer than the spire. The spiral sculpture consists of a number of ridges on the body whorl, which start as small lirae on the whorls of the spire. These conches occur in different colors, but the aperture is always white.
It is my good fortune to have all these varieties in my collection; a wonderful view to see brown, yellow, purple and red specimens on display. I have always thought that this conch was rather rare and the fact of finding seven shells in an eight month period will underline that. However, numerous dead shells or broken ones, of which the soft parts were eaten by octopus, make me suspect that this shell is more common in deeper water.
Luhuanus Outer Apra Harbor itself is small as far as harbors go, being only 3 miles long by 1 mile wide and has a fairly isolated history compared to the surrounding ocean due to the configuration of Orote Peninsula, Cabras Island, Luminao Reef and Calalan Bank. Further isolation was provided by a breakwater built upon the Luminao Reef and Calalan Bank in about 1941. This structure eventually evolved into its present form known as Glass Breakwater which was completed in about 1951 and leaves the harbor with only one narrow opening to the sea.
One would presume with conditions such as this that a population of a shell species would become inbred with a tendency to greatly resemble one another as to size, form, and markings, although possibly departing from the norm of its species living in other areas. At any rate, the accompanying photos may serve to illustrate the variations observed with perhaps the following being the most interesting:
Note 1. The considerable difference in size, especially in a species noted for the uniformity of this feature in shells from most other single small localities i.e., shell No. 1 with a length of 76mm and No. 12 with a length of 46mm on plate A.
Note 2. On plate A, the difference in width/length and height/length ratios from the inflated shell No. 3 with a W/L of 69 percent and H/L of 58 percent as compared to the cylindrical No. 10 with W/L of 54 percent and H/L of 46 percent.
Note 3. The heavy columellar callus present on the depressed-appearing No. 7 on Plate C. Light calluses are on shells No. 1, 2, 3, 5 but absent on all others.
Note 4. The conspicuous dark, mask-like blotches on the dorsals of shells No. 1, 2, 7, 8 - plate B, while faint or absent on the remaining specimens.
luhuanus,capis shell,products,silver mouth,components part,shelltiles,black agate,shell jewelry,puka shell jewelry,luhuanus
Luhuanus nassa tiger brownlip exporters capis raw capis hanging lamp shell jewelry necklace hair accessories hair ornament shark teeth gift items raw shell troca gifts hand made m.o.p shell necklaces shell jewelry necklace capis shells.
luhuanus
Shell Jewellery
 
|
