Biology of Conus, I — Kohn 
165 
TABLE 1 
Collection Records and Characteristics of Egg Masses of Conus in Hawaii 
SPECIES 
LOCALITY 1 2 
DATE OF 
COLLECTION 
abbreviatus 
Waikiki 
15 III 1923 
abbreviatus 
Diamond Head 
10 III 1956 
catus 
Waikiki 
12 VI 1922 
catus 
Paia, Maui 
5 VIII 1956 
catus 
Koko Head 
22 VIII 1956 
catus 
Koko Head 
22 VIII 1956 
ebraeus 
Waikiki 
22 III 1921 
imperialis 
Diamond Head 
6 VII 1956 
leopardus 
Kaneohe Bay 
25 IV 1956 
lividus ( ? ) 
Maile 
7 II 1956 
pennaceus 4 
Waikiki 
19 V 1921 
pennaceus^ 
Waikiki 
25 V 1922 
pennaceus 
Waikiki 
26 VII 1954 
pennaceus 
Waikiki 
4 VIII 1955 
pennaceus 
Diamond Head 
13 VIII 1955 
pennaceus 
Hauula 
9 VI 1956 
pennaceus 
Mahie Point 
9 VI 1956 
pennaceus 
Diamond Head 
10 VI 1956 
pennaceus 
Diamond Head 
4 VII 1956 
quercinus 
Kaneohe Bay 
9 II 1956 
quercinus 
Kaneohe Bay 
9 II 1956 
rattus 
Waikiki 
4 VIII 1921 
rattus (?) 
Waikiki 
21 III 1956 
vexillum 5 
Waikiki 
16 V 1921 
vitulinus 
Ala Moana 
7 VII 1956 
vitulinus 
Diamond Head 
VII 1957 
SPECIMEN 
NO. OF HEIGHT X MAXIMUM 
CAPSULES BREADTH OF 
NUMBER 
IN CLUSTER 
CAPSULES (mm.) 
(Ostergaard, 1950) 
1382 
(Ostergaard, 1950) 
2180 
2299 
12 
33 
19 
1 
3 
4 
10X8 
9 X 7-7.5 
12X9 
12 X 10 
11-12 X 10 
10-11 X 8.5-9. 
5 
(Ostergaard, 1950) 
1983 
1264 
(Ostergaard, 1950) 
(Ostergaard, 1950) 
156 
401-404 
1811 
1810 
1962 
(Ostergaard, 1950) 
(Ostergaard, 1950) 
2020 
— 
10 x 10 
6 3 
18-20 X 12-13 
19 
49-58 X 34-37 
36,30 
10.5-12 X 10-12; 
34 
9-10 X 8.5-10 
11 X8 
20 
8.5 X 7.5 
38 
68,50,25,9 
34 
9-10.5 X 7-8 
58 
9.5-11 X 7.5-9 
68 
12-13 X 9-10 
10 
9-11 X 8 
40 
19-26 X 17-22 
3 
17-19 X 18-20 
22 
15 X 11 
31 
12-14 X H-14 
34 
20 X 13 
11 
23 X 16-17 
— 
1 All from the island of Oahu unless otherwise indicated. 
2 Oviposition possibly interrupted by collector. 
3 Oviposition definitely interrupted by collector. 
4 This species is referred to as C. omaria Hwass by Ostergaard (1950). 
6 This species is referred to as C. sumatrensis Hwass by Ostergaard (1950). 
cover in 1 m. of water on the reef at Diamond 
Head, Oahu, 10 March 1956. The capsules 
( Fig. 2 ) were affixed to their substratum in 
three rows of 12, 17, and 14. Two adult C. ab- 
breviatus (no. 1382, $ , 29 X 21 mm.; no. 1383, 
sex undet., 32 X 21 mm.) were found about 
1 m. from the can lid, which appeared to be 
the nearest available protected site for oviposi- 
tion, since all nearby coral rocks were buried to 
a depth below the oxidized surface layer of 
sand. This egg mass is tentatively assigned to 
C. abbreviatus because of the proximity of the 
adults and the close similarity with the egg 
capsules of that species described by Oster- 
gaard ( 1950). 
The shape of the capsules is typical of the 
genus. They are slightly higher than broad and 
are affixed to the substratum by a short stalk 
and broad basal plate. The capsular walls are 
smooth except for peripheral ridges on one 
side (Fig. 2b) and two ridges extending down- 
ward from near the upper corners on the op- 
posite side (Fig. 2c). Both lateral edges of 
the capsule are convex. The characteristics of 
the egg mass are summarized and compared with 
that studied by Ostergaard (1950) in Tables 1 
and 2. 
In order to study the course of development, 
the egg mass was placed in aerated circulating 
sea water. One egg capsule was removed from 
the cluster and its contents examined on the 
day of collection. The embryos, which were pink 
in color when viewed through the translucent 
capsular wall, were found to be in the blastula 
