McInties Cyphoma?

[indigo 0]

Found in St. Vincent, in around 25ft water. Is this is juvenile McInties cyphoma?

 

This is a very small mollusk (juvenile?) about the same size as a grain of rice, white with red / mauve circles on it's mantle. I've never seen one before. I do have pictures of juvenile flamingo tongues so I'm convinced that it's not one of these more common cyphomas.

 

Link to picture

 

I have just got some new diopter lenses, so I'm experimenting, and this is the best shot that I managed to get.

 

Thanks again for your assistance in getting an ID.

 

Kay Wilson,

Indigo Dive.

[Leslie 0]

Hi Kay - Cyphoma macginitiei has solid dark spots. I don't think it's a Cyphoma at all since it lacks the big mid-body bulge. I'll pass it onto some people who should have a better idea of what it is.

[indigo 0]

Leslie,

 

Thanks. the reason that I think that it might be a juvenile McInties Cyphoma is that I have this photo of a what I believe to be a juvenile Flamingo tongue Juvenile flamingo tongue?, am I barking up the wrong tree?

 

Thanks everso!

 

Kay

[Leslie 0]

Maybe we're both barking up wrong trees! I'll send the second one to a specialist as well.

[Leslie 0]

Looks like you might be right on the first one being a Cyphoma and that the hump develops as the animal gets larger -- check out this image at http://www.deepseaimages.com/dsilibrary/sh...php?photo=19547

 

Still waiting for an opinion on the second one.

[Leslie 0]

Lindsey Groves, the museum's mollusc collection manager, confirmed that & 2 are juveniles of Cyphoma gibbosum at different stages. Both the shape and the color develop with size.

[indigo 0]

Lindsey Groves, the museum's mollusc collection manager, confirmed that & 2 are juveniles of Cyphoma gibbosum at different stages. Both the shape and the color develop with size.

 

 

Leslie,

 

Would she happen to have any pictures? Both of these subjects were the same size, approx grain of rice, and both were completely different. I am hoping that I'll be able to spot them again and keep a record as they grow.

 

Thank you for your help with the ID.

 

I will keep looking to see if I can find something to stump you!

 

All the best,

 

Kay

Edited June 2, 2009 by indigo

[Leslie 0]

I had the same doubt about the two. He's positive on the one you had listed as juvenile flamingo's tongue and was pretty sure on the other. Lindsey offered to forward the one with thin red circles to an ovulid expert so I'll ask him to do that.

[Leslie 0]

Lindsey forwarded the image to Dirk Fehse, one of the authors of the brand new book "The Living Ovulidae" by Felix Lorenz & Dirk Fehse. It's an amazing authorative book with tons of images of both shells & live animals. The unfortunate part is that the price is 120 euros plus shipping but it's definitely worth it for ovulid fans. Anyway, Dirk thinks it's probably a juvenile Cyphoma sedlaki which was described from the Florida Keys.

[indigo 0]

Lindsey forwarded the image to Dirk Fehse, one of the authors of the brand new book "The Living Ovulidae" by Felix Lorenz & Dirk Fehse. It's an amazing authorative book with tons of images of both shells & live animals. The unfortunate part is that the price is 120 euros plus shipping but it's definitely worth it for ovulid fans. Anyway, Dirk thinks it's probably a juvenile Cyphoma sedlaki which was described from the Florida Keys.

 

 

Leslie,

 

Thank you, I'll keep an eye on it (if I can find it again, it's teeny) and see if I can photograph it as it gets develops. It's great when we find critters in St. Vincent that are not reported in our area, or are so uncommon that they have not been catalogued / photographed in any of the ID publications available.

 

I will continue to hunt out the strange and uncommon!

 

All the best,

 

Kay

Indigo Dive, St. Vincent.

www.indigodive.com