Ed Heiman's Personal Malacology Page

"VARIABILITY OF COWRY POPULATIONS"

This MANUAL contains the main diagnostic shell characters of 189 species and the main diagnostic shell characteristics of 83 subspecies, the taxonomic level of which is confirmed in a Project "Intraspecific variation in living cowries" (1998-2012).

All conclusions drawn in the Project are based on results of conchological studies.

The diagnostic conchological information is supplemented by discussion of the 18 main forms (varieties) and illustrated by more than 1100 color pictures.

The main definitions and criteria of the conchological method used and the procedure of its application are explained in detail; they can be repeated by others.

A lot of information useful for diagnosing taxa of Cypraeidae is given.
192 pages A4, spiral bound.

"List of living cowry species 2007" is currently available as a pdf file.
In this list only cowry taxa, which stand a special test are enumerated. Representative samples of shells of taxa the taxonomic identity of which is questionable were tested according to certain criteria. No "lumping", no "splitting," just testing; a total of about 18,000 shells were used until now in this test.

Hundreds of living taxa (species and subspecies) belonging to the family Cypraeidae were described by malacological authors of the past and contemporary cowry students. The validity of one group of them seems to be obvious at least from a conchological point of view; the taxonomic identity of the other group of taxa is questionable due to different reasons.

A project "Intraspecific variation in living cowries" was initiated in 1997 in order to check the taxonomic identity of the second (problematical to me) group of taxa. In this conchological project, the definitions of species and subspecies and other criteria were first accepted (these definitions are very shortly mentioned also in a text preceding the list) and after that available representative samples of shells of hundreds of taxa were tested.
The results of this test and all the information on which the conclusions are based are already published in the following works : "Diagnosing cowry species", 2004; Reports 1-3 (2005-2007) and other publications.

There are taxa, shells of which are rare and not available for study; the true locality of certain other taxa is not clear; there are limitations of conchological methods and other confusing factors hence this is not the final list; final lists is an illusion.

Supplement 1: A STUDY OF INTRASPECIFIC VARIATION IN PUSTULARIA CICERCULA
(INCLUDING A SMOOTH FORM TREATED EARLIER AS P. MARGARITA)

Abstract: In this work intraspecific variation in Pustularia cicercula (Linnaeus, 1758) is studied. The conchological material examined includes shells of a smooth form of the species treated in the past as Pustularia margarita (Dillwyn, 1817). That allows checking again the taxonomic identity of different populations of the species widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific region. This study is based on 298 shells of the species.
In this study a substantial difference in shell characteristics is found between the western and eastern groups of populations of P. cicercula. The western group of population inhabits the Indian Ocean and the western and central parts of the Pacific Ocean. The eastern group of populations inhabits an area of French Polynesia.
A group of populations from the Hawaiian Islands is already described as subspecies P. cicercula takahashii Moretzsohn, 2007. The shell characteristics of this group are not discussed in detail in the current study due to absence of large batches of shells from the Hawaiian Islands. A spot-check of a small batch representing that area indicates that it can be treated as an intermediate zone between the two groups mentioned above but this opinion should be checked again in the future and based on study of large batches of shells.
A conclusion is drawn that the difference in statistical shell characteristics between the western and eastern groups is of a subspecific level. The eastern group of populations of P. cicercula is described as a new subspecies in a separate work published in Triton 19.
Key words: Mollusca, Gastropoda, Cypraeidae, Pustularia cicercula, intraspecific variation, taxonomy.

Supplement 2: A TAXONOMIC HISTORY OF AND INTRASPECIFIC VARIATION
IN IPSA CHILDRENI.

Abstract: A taxonomic history of Ipsa childreni (Gray, 1825) is traced and copies of the original descriptions of the species and its subspecies are given. It is shown that the Schilders separated three subspecies of Ipsa childreni but later treated them as synonyms.
Intraspecific variation in Ipsa childreni is studied using 231 shells in the author’s collection including two batches of shells from French Polynesia: 118 shells from Tuamotu Archipelago and 101 shells from Society Islands (Huahine and Tahiti). It is shown that the shell size of Ipsa childreni in the Polynesian populations is substantially lesser than in other populations of the species and this fact is confirmed by the data published in the malacological literature and on the Internet.
A conclusion is drawn that this difference in shell characteristics of Ipsa childreni is of a subspecific level.
Key words: Mollusca, Gastropoda, Cypraeidae, Ipsa childreni, intraspecific variation, distribution.

Supplement 3: CONCHOLOGICAL INFORMATION PUBLISHED IN TRITON 1-19
(2000 THROUGH 2009)

1. TAXA INDEX
Notes
All mollusc taxa are listed in the alphabetical order.
Only those taxa are mentioned in this list, which are the direct subject of the relevant articles, represent
interesting forms, or may be connected in a way with our geographical area.
The taxa first described in TRITON are written in the bold letters.
The taxa relevant to marine molluscs are given in the shaded blocks.

Supplement 4: CONCHOLOGICAL INFORMATION PUBLISHED IN TRITON 1-19
(2000 THROUGH 2009)

2. AUTHOR INDEX
This index is arranged in the alphabetical order.
If there are several authors of a publication their names are listed exactly as in their
works published.

Supplement 6: CONCHOLOGICAL INFORMATION PUBLISHED IN TRITON 1-19
(2000 THROUGH 2009)

21. Intraspecific Variation in Erosaria Lamarckii (GRAY, 1825)
(published in the journal of the Israel Malacological Society TRITON #10 in December 2004.)

Two main criteria are established for recognizing subspecies and all the groups of populations are critically examined according to these criteria: first, subspecies must be geographically separated population groups of the species; second, the majority (70% or more) of shells of the subspecies must differ by at least one diagnosable shell characteristic (the main diagnostic shell characteristic) from the other subspecies of that particular species.

Statistical shell characteristics are calculated for 143 taxa. The specific rank of 36 cowry population groups is confirmed, 15 of which are turned out to be monotypic species. The subspecific rank of 69 cowry population groups is confirmed and the remaining 74 are treated as synonyms, as taxa which are not separable conchologically, or taxa which need more conchological material and further study to re-examine their taxonomic level.The main diagnostic shell characteristics, which can be used for distinguishing between the recognized taxa, are given for all subspecies.

Numerous formae found in the studied conchological material are listed and illustrated in approximately 900 pictures.

EVOLUTION, THE TRIUMPH OF AN IDEA

Carl Zimmer, 2002. Published by W. Heinemann, London. 364 pp.

ABSTRACT

This Report-3 contains the results of a statistical study, which is the third part of the project “Intraspecific variation in living cowries.” The groups of cowry populations studied are known in the literature as species or subspecies but their taxonomic identity is often questioned and there is no consensus among malacologists regarding their true taxonomic identity. The current study is an attempt to elucidate this problem using statistical conchological methods.

In this third part of the project, as in the reports covering the first and second stages of the project, two main criteria are used for recognizing subspecies and all the samples of shells representing different groups of cowry populations are critically examined according to these criteria:

-First, subspecies are geographically separated population groups of the species.

-Second, the majority (70% or more) of shells of the subspecies must differ by at least one diagnosable shell characteristic (the main diagnostic shell characteristic) from the other subspecies of that particular species.

Conchological characteristics used consist of two types: quantitative characteristics—the average shell length, relative width and height, and normalized teeth count—and qualitative characteristics—the percentage of shells with a definite quality such as the shell color, pattern, and shape or shell profile etc. Groups of cowry populations, which stand the check, are recognized as valid subspecies.

This study evaluates 25 taxa, which have been described as species or subspecies by other authors, using 1259 shells. Of this number I have been able to confirm 6 monotypic species. The remaining taxa are either treated as synonyms or as taxa, which are not separable conchologically or needs future study. The latter groups are taxa for which the main diagnostic shell characteristics are not yet determined or I could not obtain sufficient material to determine their limits satisfactorily and thus a further study is required in order to establish their correct taxonomic rank.

The main diagnostic shell characters are given for all recognized species.

The shells characters studied and forms found among the conchological material studied, are listed and illustrated through numerous pictures.

This Report-3 2007 is in fact an electronic book.

I am sorry that my conclusion may disappoint those collectors who like uncommon and interesting South African cowries, but these are the facts and my conclusions.

According to long standing conchological practices, shells of any cowry subspecies should differ from shells of other subspecies of the same species by at least one substantial diagnostic characteristic. It is the responsibility of the author of a new subspecies to prove the existence of a separate population, to choose the appropriate diagnostic characters, and to prove the subspecific level of the population under study. It certainly should not be left for consequent authors to prove the opposite.

For Purchasing Information Contact:

E. L. Heiman
P.O.Box 664
Rehovot 76100, Israel
E-mail: heimel@netvision.net.il

This book is designed to be an easy-to-use manual that enables malacologists and shell collectors to identify cowries using shell characters only.

Shell characters of 268 cowry taxa, which have been described as extant species, are compared. A criterion is established and all the 268 taxa are critically examined according to this criterion: each cowry species must be distinguished from other species of Cypraeidae by at least one well-recognizable shell character—Main Diagnostic Shell Character (MDSC)—that shows no intermediate stages

Following the above criterion it was possible to diagnose 211 cowry species, 14 subspecies and 19 synonyms.

The remaining 24 taxa refer either to rare shells not available for study or to populations, the descriptive shell characters of which are not yet established. These taxa should be re-examined in order to come to satisfactory conclusion as to their status i.e. species, subspecies or synonym.

To allow for easy comparison, color illustrations and the main diagnostic characters for shells of the defineable taxa that are similar to each other are given on the same page.

Additional information which may provide extra clues for distinguishing between species of similar appearence includes: notes to supplement the main diagnostic characters; discussion of several groups of cowry taxa, which are especially difficult to tell apart; a list of genera in Cypraeidae and the distribution range of taxa with similar shells.

160 A4 pages, soft cover, color illustrations on 48 plates, numerous b/w illustrations.

Purchasing Information:
My new book costs 75$, postage 15$ by airmail, 5$ by surface mail.

E. L. Heiman
P.O.Box 664
Rehovot 76100, Israel
E-mail: heimel@netvision.net.il