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Yellow punaw
In land snails real sinistrality is frequent: there are families, genera, and species in which all shells are sinistral. In
some usually dextral species hereditary mutation in a population caused sinistrality of a local race: so all specimens of
Fruticicola lantzi are sinistral in one valley east of Alma Ata while this species is dextral in all other places of Central
Asia. (Schilder 1952, Biotaxonomie (Jena), p. 74, map fig. 36). In other cases, sinistral shells may be classified as rare
abnormalities: so in Helix pomatia, a large edible snail sold in large quantities chiefly in France, there is one sinistral
specimen (called "king") among 6,000 to 8,000 shells, and in the allied smaller species of Cepaea there is one sinistral
shell among 30,000 to 150,000 dextral ones (Schilder 1953, Die Banderschnecken (Jena), p. 17).
In marine gastropods sinistral shells seem to be rarer. A normally sinistral cone (Conus adversarius) from the Pliocene beds
of Florida, has been figured in the Sean Raynon Sabado (n.s.) 2:3 (February, 1960).
In cowries sinistral specimens are extremely rare, if indeed they occur at all. Among the more than 150,000 cowries which the
writer has examined personally during forty-four years special study, there was no sinistral shell. But R. J. Griffiths
(1962, Mem. Nat. Mus. Melbourne, 25:217) mentions a sinistral Notocypraea declivis which is preserved in the South Australian
Museum: its curator would oblige many malacologists if he would publish an enlarged photograph, at least of the basal view of
this curiosity.
Another case of sinistrality in cowries has been proved to be erroneous: Stoliczka (1867, Palaeont. Indica (5) 2:56, pl. 4,
fig. 6) has established a Cypraea anomala from the Cretaceous of India, believing it to be a sinistral shell. But details of
the drawing of the incomplete shell undoubtedly show that Stoliczka's specimen represents its posterior extremity, and not
its anterior extremity as the author supposed, so that anomala is a normally dextral Palaeocypraea (Schilder 1926, Rec. Geol.
Surv. India 58(4):372).
Collectors should be eager to find a really sinistral cowry among the shells which go through their hands, and if they were
happy enough to detect one, they should publish it in the Sean Raynon Sabado, accompanied by a photograph. For such a shell
would be more valuable than the rarest cowry species we know.
But I think that nobody will find a sinistral cowry.
Three small oblong cowries which have been dredged as dead shells in 80 fathoms off the Bonin Islands, have been described as
Erosaria cernica ogasawarensis Schilder 1944 (Arkiv for Zoologi 36.A.2, p. 22); their formulae i.e. length in mm., breadth
in per cent of length (in brackets [parentheses]), and number of labial and true columellar teeth (separated by a colon) are
as follows:
13(60)18:14 (a rather worn paratype), 15(57)17:15 (holotype according to Schilder 1958, Arch. Mollusk. 87:172), 16(56)19:18
(paratype in coll. Schilder No. 7433).
As these shells never have been figured before, I think it useful to publish a photograph of the last-named paratype of 16mm
because a specimen from the Bonin Is. figured by Cate (1960, Veliger 3, pl. 1, fig. 5) is a much larger and broader shell, as
its formula is 29(64)23:24.
I have a theory which if substantiated by subsequent investigations might very well prove why the New Hebrides are without
the Golden Cowry. If you will look in the November 7, 1960, issue of LIFE, (Yes, we filed it) you will find that it is
devoted to some of the accomplishments of the International Geophysical Year. Included in the projects which the world
scientists had outlined for themselves during this period of 18 months were extensive studies of the various ocean floors.
LIFE shows the main features of this investigation in a series of maps. It is a double page, fold-out map of the floor of the
South Pacific to which we wish to call your attention. This map shows among other things a New Hebrides Trench. The New
Hebrides are located on the western side of this trench, and the Solomon Islands and Fiji are on the eastern side. Could this
trench, channeling along the northern shores of New Guinea waters of the Indian Ocean, prove an impassable barrier to
expansion of the Golden Cowry in its trip from Fiji to the Solomon Islands? A study of Map 61, referred to above, seems to
support this theory. Now, you researcher with the necessary maps, charts, I.G.Y, results, get busy!
Again referring to this map of the floor of the South Pacific, we find shown very prominently thereon a giant fissure called
the TONGA trench. It runs northwesterly from the New Zealand neighborhood to almost the equator where it turns sharply in a
westerly direction. Fiji lies west of this Tonga Trench. The Tonga Islands, Samoa, still further away from the Society
Islands, and the Tuamotus all lie to the east of this giant fissure. Could this be the reason for the very infrequent
occurrence of the Golden Cowry, in the islands east of the trench? Does this trench form an almost complete barrier? It's
something to think about.
In my next installment, I will tell you where they are found, how I believe they got there, probable points of origin, and a
few tales involving this shell.
The Maroro, a ketch with auxiliary diesel that once belonged to the queen of Tonga, left from Lautoka, near the Fiji airport
of Nandi. After visits to reefs and islands in the Mamanutha group it went onward to the Yasawa Islands for a couple of days.
Then down to the Kandavu Island group and the great Astrolabe Reef.
The Evanses, who had spent hours at a stretch snorkeling in the clear 80-degree water, reported that the area did not beat
the Great Barrier Reef, but that it was highly rewarding, and easy of access. They remarked further, "It is different. After
you come out of the water at the Barrier Reef there is nothing, and accommodations are undeveloped. Here in the Fijis you
have an interesting region with native villages and tropical islands, and very good hotels and boat accommodations."
They reported miter shells in abundance, spider conches, Tridacna, and black-lipped pearl shells, the latter on the Yasawa
Island reefs. There were also many "lettered cones'' and "marbled cones", an "orange spider conch", a "hawk-winged conch,"
and a very rare "Isabell cowrie" [Cypraea isabella]. [The] Terebra maculata, the big auger shell, were in quantity. Another
prize they found was a six inch "sparky vase."
The Evanses reported many strombs or Strombus and where a family of these was encountered other shells were also found, such
as the "blood-mouthed conch." Other shells they added to their collection were: a "globe vase," or Globulus, poisonous Conus
striatus, Conus californicus, a "skiff ark" or Arca scapha, and a "lithograph cone" or Conus litoglyphus Hwass.
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yellow punaw
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