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Cypraea (erosaria) lamarckii Gray, 1825 is named after the French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, Chevalier de Lamarck, who is commonly known simply as Lamarck.

Lamarck’s cowrie is a very attractive medium/small shell, typically 25-40mm, fawn or gold color and covered with small white spots of varying size. The margins are whitish with dark brown spots that distinguish it from the similar Cypraea miliiaris Gmelin, 1791 which has solid white margins. Although the coloring is relatively constant there is much variation of shape and size. The largest shells come from the African continent and are globose, relatively light in weight. Here Cypraea lamarckii is found in shallow water where it burrows in muddy sand, emerging at dusk to feed. This is unusual as cowries do not burrow! In Tanzania there is one population with a purple base named Cypraea lamarckii fainzilberi Lo. & Ho., 1993 and a very pale variety Cypraea lamarckii sharoni Walles, 1980. Deep water populations from the Andaman Sea tend to be considerably smaller and lack the mantle line that is universal on the African specimens.

Cypraea lamarckii reditima Melville 1888 is found in Thailand. Here it’s habitat is more typical of other cypraea, under rock and in corals. It is relatively flat, heavy with a well developed callous, large dark marginal spots and a very rounded base.

Cypraea lamarckii is an Indian Ocean species though the occasional population is found in the Philippines and beyond. It appears that in the South China Sea and Pacific Ocean lamarckii is replaced by its cousin miliiaris.

Our three specimens are illustrative of the variety lamarckii is found. This reditima along with five others, are freshly collected and just arrived this past week in a package from Phuket, Thailand. These three shells are donated from the collection of Richard Kent.

Six freshly collected Cypraea lamarckii reditima Mellville, 1888 from Raya Island, Thailand

Siratus beauii (Fischer & Bernardi) 1857. Richard Kent is getting a break this month. And what we mean by that is James and his Dad, Emmett Redding are supplying this month’s feature shell. And what a shell it is. Siratus beauii used to be somewhat easy to get, but no more. In the early 1970s Dr. Riley Black was very famous for his dredging excursions in the Gulf of Mexico….and one could buy a bushel basket of dredged mud and goodies, set up a big tub of water, grab a sieve of some sort and have a ball. Nothing was guaranteed with each bushel but it was a wonderful gamble to see what might be discovered from the mud. I, myself got enough rubles together to

purchase one and found cones, murex and so much more.

Jean Redding, our past president from 1973 purchased many bushels and this month’s shell is the result of that, being from her collection.

Siratus beauii is now very hard to find, and especially in this condition. The varicies are just about all intact and it has its operculum. For you Heavy-Duty collectors, this shell has not had its exterior cleaned and oiled which gives you the opportunity for either cleaning it (a very easy task with this specimen) or leaving it as is!

Dredged by Dr. Black June 1971. It was taken in 125 fathoms (750 feet) west of Cape San Blas. This would put it near/in the Desoto Canyon.

Lima vulgaris Link, 1807 is a bivalve from the order Limoida, family Limidae. Its common name is File Clam or Spiny File Clam.  It is world wide is distribution in tropical waters. Originally our shell was named Lima lima Linnaeaus, 1758 and Philippine dealers used the name Lima lima vulgaris Link. 1807 to differentiate the populations with a pink interior from those with a white interior. Today Lima lima is reserved for Caribbean and Mediterranean shells while Lima vulgaris to those from the Indo-Pacific. There is no difference in the shells and not all vulgaris have pink interiors.

Lima vulgaris is a filter feeder and is capable of free swimming propelling itself by clapping its valves open and shut expelling water.  Normally they settle down between rock or reef rubble where they display their long tentatcles. The live animal is very attractive.

The top and bottom valve mirror each other and according to the literature the interior color comes from the pigment hemoglobin.

This specimen is a giant being over 4 1/2″ (113mm) and is about as large they come.  It was collected by Philippine divers nestled in rocks off Dawaho Island, Leyte, Philippines. It was donated by club member Richard Kent from his collection.

This month we have two large cones which are almost opposites. Both are favorites of collectors and artists alike. Any still life of shells is likely to include one or both!