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Earings
The first specimen of C. bregeriana in Fiji was collected by Mr. A. Jennings at an island off the Nadi coast. Subsequent
specimens were dredged by A. Jennings at Momi (West coast of Viti Levu), however, they were dead. The first live specimen was
dredged by Jennings and myself off the island of Akuilau (W off Nadi) in only 2 fms depth. The locality was sandy bottom,
broken coral, and a lot of short stubby green weed. C. lutea humphreysii is found in the same locality, clinging to the
leaf-like weed. The bregeriana fell out of a crevice from a coral which was brought in by the dredge.
The six specimens so far found in Fiji (3 live-collected and 3 beach) compare fairly well with New Caledonian specimens, and
differ only slightly in the following characteristics:
1. They are much smaller.
2. The lilac rim around the dorsum is extremely pale.
3. The marginal dark brown spots are absent.
4. The white "dust spots" extend much farther up the dorsum (labial side up to 1/3 of the height of the shell and on the
columellar side they reach half way up the dorsum).
The mean measurements and teeth count of the 6 Fiji specimens are as follows: Length: 18mm, Width: 62% of Length, Height: 51%
of Length, Lab. T: 20, Col. T: 19.
The specimens of C. bregeriana that I have examined showed that the feature of the white spots on the base and margins are a
consistent feature, lacking in all other races of walkeri. I examined the following specimens:
11 specimens in the Australian Museum, Sydney. (ex-Rossitter coll., all from New Caledonia.)
13 specimens in New Caledonian collections (Bernie. Mus., Reverce, Tourres and D. Boust coll.)
2 specimens from New Caledonia in my own collection.
6 specimens collected in Fiji.
Radula studies from a Fiji-collected specimen were made by Dr. Schilder, and his results were kindly made available for
publication in this article. Some of the radula indices were as follows: radula contained 96 plus 8 (nascentes) rows, its
entire length was 7.9mm (shell length was 12.4mm), and the breadth of the median was 0.071mm. Illustrated is a drawing (after
Schilder) of half a row of the radula examined. Dr. Schilder states that there is not the slightest difference between the
radula of bregeriana and the radula of walkeri which he examined from Dangar Besar, Saleh Bay, Indonesia. Both of these agree
with Vayssière's illustration of the radula of bregeriana from Noumea (1927).
The radula: Dr. Schilder (in litt.), did not find any distinct differences between the radula of C . esontropia and C .
cribraria.
Despite the lack of any appreciable differences in the live animal or radula of the two species, the shell possesses
sufficient morphological characteristics to be separated by collectors on sight. The profuse brown spotting of both margins
and thickening of both sides, are a constant feature in all adult shells of C. esontropia. The greater width in proportion to
the shell's length, deltoidal form, and smaller number of labial teeth, are features present in the greater part of shells,
though individuals may vary. C. cribraria lacks the thickening of the columellar margin and deltoidal form. the majority of
shells of any C. cribraria population are unspotted, although rare individuals may bear faint, sparse marginal spots on the
labial or both margins, the columellar spots, however, never extend onto the base. A specimen of C. cribraria from the
Philippine Islands, showed 10 weak, pale brown spots on the labial margin, and 13 on the columellar margin, in form the shell
was elongate-ovate, with the left side rounded, and the columellar teeth extended as strong ridges onto the fossula, thus
separating it from C. esontropia.
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