On my trip to the Abrolhos and Shark Bay (in April 2000) we passed through the area of Kalbarri just northeast of the
Abrolhos. Conditions were fine and we did a dive, with the result
that one diver came up with a northern form of friendii,
the other with an elongate, gondola-shaped jeaniana. Both
were taken animal tissue of, which were tested for the DNA by
Chris Meyer. The result was that the friendii-type shell
was really friendii, whereas the jeaniana-like
shell one belonged more closely to northern jeaniana.
On subsequent trips to Kalbarri, a small number of those friendii-
and jeaniana-like shells were found by other divers, proving
the observations to be consistent. I described the jeaniana
on account of its gondola-like shape as jeaniana thalamega
in "New Worldwide Cowries".
It
differs from other subspecies of jeaniana by its mostly
larger size (75-96 mm), the elongate, rostrate shape, the slightly
more numerous columellar teeth and the more distinctly blotched
extremities. Interestingly, there are two types of thalamega:
those with a black base, and those with a whitish base. Both
forms have pale cream to white margins, the main difference from
friendii, which in its northern range may have similar
developed columellar teeth (this form of friendii might
be a separate subspecies, it is under study). Note 2021: it was finally described as friendii marina by A. Kostin. |
