322 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol XI, July, 1957 
and surge channels just seaward of the reef 
edge. Like M. mitra , M. stictica remains buried 
during the day but comes out at night. 
GEOGRAPHIC range: USNM collections are 
from East Africa throughout the Indian and 
Pacific oceans to the Society and Tuamotu 
islands, and from the Ryukyu and Hawaiian 
islands south to New Guinea and New Cale- 
donia. Reported from northern Australia. Ap- 
parently more common than M. mitra in 
Micronesia. 
Subgenus Swainsonia H. and A. Adams, 
1853 
Mitra {Swainsonia) casta (Gmelin, 1791). 
Fig. 33. Mitra {Swainsonia) casta Gmelin. Ifaluk 
Atoll, Caroline Islands (USNM 614201). 
Characteristically 1 to 2 inches long, smooth 
and white with dark brown bands above each 
suture, the brown coloring ordinarily being 
worn away, particularly on the body whorl. 
One specimen in the recent Micronesian 
collections was found living in sand between 
small reefs on the sandy lagoon slope at 
Ifaluk in about 10 feet of water. A dead 
specimen was dredged from the bottom of 
Bikini lagoon in 18 to 30 feet of water. 
geographic range: USNM records are 
from the Philippine, Caroline, Marshall, Fiji, 
Samoan, Tuamotu, and Marquesas islands. 
Reported from southern Japan and from the 
Loyalty Islands (Bouge and Dautzenberg, 
1922), but not from Hawaii. Uncommon in 
Micronesia. 
Genus Strigatella Swainson, 1840 
Strigatella litterata (Lamarck, 1811) (syn. bi- 
zonalis Lamarck, 1822). 
Hirase and Taki (1951) pi. 101, fig. 9; 
Morris (1952) p. 195, pi. 39, fig. 17 
(poor). 
Characteristically 1 to 1.5 inches long with 
yellowish- white hieroglyphic markings. 
Ordinarily lives below low tide line among 
rocks on seaward reef flats. Also found in 
tide pools and moist rock crevices across the 
entire reef flat. Records in recent Micronesian 
collections indicate that S. litterata is most 
plentiful on windward ocean reefs or wind- 
ward lagoon reefs of broad atolls, although 
it has also been taken on leeward reefs. 
geographic range: According to USNM 
records and published reports, S. litterata is 
distributed from East Africa (Natal, Durban, 
South Africa to the Red Sea) eastward through 
the Indian and Pacific oceans to the Society 
and Tuamotu islands, and from southern 
Japan and Hawaii south to the East Indies, 
New Caledonia, and the Loyalty Islands. Not 
reported from Australia. Very common in 
Micronesia. 
Strigatella lutea (Quoy and Gaimard, 1833) 
(syn. acuminata Swainson, 1824, not Gmel- 
in, 1791). 
Tinker (1952) p. 64, fig. on p. 65 [as M. 
acuminata Swainson]. 
Characteristically about one inch long and 
dull yellow in color. 
Lives in rocky tide pools on seaward and 
lagoon reef flats, windward and leeward. 
geographic RANGE: USNM collections are 
from Mauritius eastward through the Pacific 
to the Society and Tuamotu islands, and from 
southern Japan and Hawaii south to New 
Guinea and the Solomons. Reported from 
New Caledonia but not from Australia. Un- 
common in Micronesia. 
