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Puka shell Checking with several of the more knowledgeable shell collectors on Okinawa, I have found "E. ogasawarensis" to be just as rare now, as when Mr. Cate wrote his article. However, two more consecutive dives that week, in the same area, produced five more of these beautiful shells for me and one more for Phil. Unfortunately, all the rest of the shells we found, were found in the freshly dead state, laying in the sand at a depth of 115 to 125 ft. Since this is such an uncommon shell for this area, I thought I would share it with the H.S.N. readers, along with the vital statistics for the eight I found [see table]. You will notice they vary quite a bit although all but the one juvenile found alive, are fully mature.


QUESTION: Several years ago, when I lived in Vera Cruz, Mexico, I used to get a lot of sea shells (Macrocypria [sic] cervus) from the fishermen there. These shells were all perfect except for a small hole, which the fishermen said had been drilled by octopuses in order to extract the flesh. They always found a number of empty shells in the dens of octopuses, and these always had the tiny hole. If these holes were made by octopuses, what type could it have been? How would it make such a small hole? R.S., Calgary, Alberta.

ANSWER: Shell boring or drilling by octopuses is a recently discovered phenomenon. Fossil bivalves have been found that were apparently bored in the manner you describe, and recently researchers have found that some octopods bore both bivalves and gastropods. As for species, Octopus vulgaris apparently bores shells and this animal may have been responsible for the bored shells you found. It might also have been Octopus maya, a related species common in the Vera Cruz area. The precise mechanism of boring is unknown, although it probably involves the chitonous radula, a rasp-like organ possessed by octopods and other molluscs. Chemical secretions from the salivary glands may help to dissolve the shell.

The above is from Sea Secrets, Volume 1, No. 1, Feb. 1970. Sea Secrets is published by the International Oceanographic Foundation, 10 Rickenbacker Causeway, Virginia Key, Miami, Florida 33149.

Puka shell An asterisk (*) indicates fragments of shell of that species. All other specimens were complete or nearly complete shells. An inspection of the above table reveals common shells of today were also the most common in the geological period when the fossil area was formed. At least two previously unreported fossil species were collected. Specimens of a Cypraea species as yet undetermined were also collected. The fossil deposits in the area of the Campbell Industrial Park barge harbor have been worked by collectors, mostly members of the Philippine Shell, for several years. Many fine specimens of shells have been collected. Cypraea tessellata and C. cicercula have been found in fair numbers. After the seventy or so members collected fossils during the first day of the fossil survey (Saturday, Sept. 19) it was feared there would be slim pickings the following day. Such was not the case and many fine specimens, several of them rare species, were found on the second day of the survey. The shells listed in the table do not represent the total number of shells, or of species, collected. They are simply those reported to the editor prior to press time. It is felt that the list is representative of the species present and the abundance of those reported. It is hoped a future fossil collecting survey can be conducted to determine just how far inland conditions were suitable for molluscan fauna during the time of high water. It is known no fossil shells are present in most of the quarry area about half a mile inland of the barge harbor. It would be interesting to determine just where, and perhaps why, the edge of the mollusk deposits is located.

Andy Butler and Tom Richert joined a group of shellers on Molokai and Lanai Islands recently. They all had good finds but Andy lost all of his collection when a big wave hit their boat and washed everything off of the deck. Losses included a giant Cypraea sulcidentata. Tom found a C. cicercula in 40' off Lanai, however, to prove that they had been diving.
Mike Scaggs found a dead but nice Strombus hawaiensis off Waianae at 80' and Ted Bryant found a live Cymatium clandestinum at Makua at 35'.

George Cook found a Cyp. rashleighana at Makaha in 60' of water and it is a real gem.

Pete Hirsch collected two C. chinensis under a rock at Fort Kam in 8' of water and Robert Dellar found two beautiful C. gaskoini at 45' off Moanalua Bay.

Father and Son, Thomas and Gilbert Ching both found Bursa bufonia at Kahuku in a few inches of water. Gilbert is a member of the Junior Shell Club. Another Junior Shell Club member, Wendell Hino, found an Umbraculum sinicum at Moanalua Bay in a few feet of water which he displayed, live, at the Shell Show.

Steve Quirk hit the Cypraea jackpot with a C. rashleighana, 4 C. chinensis, 2 C. vitellus and 3 C. gaskoini from Haleiwa, Kaneohe Bay, Ala Moana Reef and Chinaman's Hat Beach and Kaneohe Bay, respectively.

puka shell


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