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Eggshell
Two Belgian scientists, whose hobby is conchology, have done some remarkable shell collecting along the Brazilian Coast of
South America. They are Dr. Bernard "Ben" Tursch, 29 years old graduate in bio-chemistry from the "Ecole Polytechnique"
University te'Libre de Bruxelles, and Dr. Jean Pierret, 32 years old and a graduate anthropologist, also from the University
of Bruselles.
Ben Tursch is working for Stanford University of California in Brazil where he is investigating the chemical structure of
some natural products. In his spare time, he collects shells and has over 300 species of Conus alone. Tursch hopes to publish
a catalogue on Brazilian marine shells with the help of local collectors.
The habitat of the shell, on the outside of the reef, and constant heavy wave action, is probably responsible for the fact
that the Golden Cowry is a "Loner." That is, no other shells share his precarious quarters. Consequently he has no near
relatives, and we have no records concerning any close neighbors. His relationships with other shells seem to be nil.
His almost inaccessible habitat is not only responsible for our lack of more knowledge concerning this shell, but is also the
main reason why native divers do not attempt to collect live specimens. We have been told that the reason it was not
collected in Fiji, was because of the sharks, and giant barracuda that infest the waters there. But there's another reason.
Walter Cernohorsky, a member of the Fiji Shell Club, writes, " The formation of Nadroga reef allows high breakers to wash
over it and thus foil any diver's approach. " His theory is that the shells live just over the edge of the reef, at depths of
from ten to 30 feet, and when they leave their hiding places either to feed or mate and a sudden storm strikes, they are
unable to hold on, and, "get carried over the top of the reef."
Its food is algae. This much was established by Dr. Alison Kay, in the one known examination made of the contents of the
animal's stomach, which I discussed in earlier articles in this series (Jan. and Feb. [Mar.], 1963, Sean Raynon Sabado).
An interesting idea is advanced by Cernohorsky (see above) when he says: "The absence of Cypraea aurantium in other parts of
the Fiji group is a puzzling feature. The restriction of the shell to the Nadroga reef might be due to the feeding
preferences of the shell and the habitat preference of a steep shelving reef with heavy breakers." The coral reef formation
as it exists on the Nadroga reef is absent NW, NNE and east of Viti Levu and there is a possibility that the food on which it
lives is restricted to the Nadroga reef. This theory might or might not account for the absence of the species in other parts
of the Fiji Group as well as the Island of New Caledonia. It is my personal opinion, that the salinity and the sea water
temperature does not account for the total absence of this shell in other parts of Viti Levu. Salinity and sea water
temperature at the Nadroga reef compare favorably to other collecting stations in other parts of' Viti Levu." (to be
continued)
Twice in my life I have been painfully bitten or stung on the finger by tiny octopuses which were occupying empty Terebra
maculata shells. In both cases I lost the octopus because the painful sting caused me to involuntarily fling him off my
finger and back into the ocean. After loosing the second one in this manner I swore that the next time I found a large dead
T. maculata shell I would examine it carefully for a hidden octopus, and if I found one I would try to preserve it in
alcohol. l was anxious to learn if this little critter was a juvenile of a large species or an adult of a small species.
On March 24th, while out diving at Kailua Bay in 60 feet of water, I found just such a large dead T. maculata lying on the
sandy bottom. I couldn't see any octopus in the aperture but hoping that one might be hidden deep inside the spire I
carefully stuck the shell in my collecting sock.
When I arrived home, I gingerly emptied out my sock. Out rolled the dead Terebra followed closely by a tiny octopus no bigger
than a "25 cent piece." I immediately pickled the little beast in rubbing alcohol and air mailed it to Dr. Rehder and Dr.
Morrison at The Smithsonian Institution. No identification has as yet been made. We are indebted to Dr. Rehder, Curator -
Division of Mollusks, Smithsonian Institution, for the accompanying photographs. [Image of T. maculata not included.]
Although the name of Swainson is well known to collectors of Philippines gastropods because of its association with the
endemic Philippines cowry Cypraea tessellata, Swainson himself never realized that his "mosaic cowry" came from the
Philippines Islands. Swainson described C. tessellata as coming from New Zealand, and it was not until more than 70 years
after the original description of the species that its habitat was generally recognized to be that of the Philippines
Islands.
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