Page 6 December 1980 No. 267 NEW YORK SHELL CLUB NOTES 
specimen of Cypraea porteri, 
I saw the scar above its margin, 
ht's sleep over it, too. 
Cate in 1966 in THE 
ypraea porteri was described by Crawford N- 
TePieEe, 8(3):200-201, from a single specimen collected in 48 feet 
of water at the entrance to a coral cave Ofnts Manubal Island (part 
of the Tapul Group), just south of Capac and Siasi Islands in the 
Sulu Archipelago, Philippines. The specimen measures 47.Omm in 
length, 34.7mm in width, and 25.3mm in maximum height. 
In 1920 Phil Clover came across a shell somewhat similar to Cypraea 
porteri, but different in some aspects, which was taken from deep 
water off Taiwan. This shell was considerably larger (57. 7mm x 
37.1mm x 30.4mm) and slightly different in shape and dentition and 
in several other features. The differences were great enough for 
Clover to describe his shell as a new species, Cypraea joycae, in 
VENUS, 29(2):35-36. Today most Cypraea specialists consider joycae 
a synonym for the earlier-named porteri. Readers interested ina 
thorough diagnosis are referred to an article by Luigi Raybaudi 
Massilia on Cypraea porteri in LA CONCHIGLIA, year 9, #104-105, Nov.- 
Dec. 1977, pp. 4-14. Accompanying the article are color photos of 
the types of both C. porteri and C. joycae, along with five speci- 
mens in the author’s collection, three of which are larger than 60mn, 
In the past few months perhaps twenty specimens of Cypraea porteri 
have been collected in nets in rather deep water (about 150 fathoms) 
from Balut Island, in the Philippines. I have been able to examine 
two of these specimens and have seen photographs of two more. These 
specimens, and from what I can learn about those others from the 
Philippines that I have not seen, have been much darker in color 
than those collected in the waters off Taiwan. The Philippine spec- 
imens have bright orange bases with dark spotting and a honey-colored 
dorsum, while those from Taiwan have creamy/orange bases, somewhat 
lighter colored spots and orange/tan color on the dorsum. The shells 
from both areas, though, have bright orange margins and canals. It 
is interesting to note that at this time only the holotype of C. 
porteri was obtained in relatively shallow water. Clover's holotype 
of C. joycae came from a depth of 240 meters. The five specimens 
reported by Raybaudi Massilia were taken from depths ranging from 
170 to 220 meters, and specimens collected now in the Philippines 
also come from approximately 150 to 200 meters. 
proudly displayed his newly acquired 
I could not repress my laughter when | 
I just wonder if my confrere lost a nig 
The Taiwan specimen illustrated here is 48mm in length and was col- 
lected at approximately 200 meters depth by a commercial fishing 
boat working off Ilan, off N. W. Taiwan. This specimen is in the 
collection of C. Duprey, Nashville, Tennessee. Its color and shape 
are typical of other specimens seen from Taiwan. This specimen has 
25 labial teeth and 26 on the columella. The second specimen illus- 
strated is from the Philippines and measures 50.8mm in length. 
Clover's observation that the specimens from Taiwan have fewer and 
coarser, teeth than Specimens: fromthe? Phi lappinesseems) juetieiee. 
The average number of columellar teeth of the five Specimens re- 
ported in LA CONCHIGLIA, the holotype of Clover's c. joycae, and the 
Specimen illustrated herewith, is 27.4, and for the labial teeth the 
average is 25.1. The corresponding figures for the holotype of C. 
orteri are 32 columellar and 33 labial teeth. The Philippine spec- 
imen here illustrated has 31 columellar and 33 labial teeth. This 
specimen is in the collection of Miguel Parcerisas Roses a 
