Guam Shell Club's Official Shell

by Paul Merril & Rich Salisbury

After months of discussion and debate, the Guam Shell Club has finally chosen a shell to officially represent the Club. The decision was not an easy one. Three shells were nominated by the Board of Directors to represent the Club: Murex laqueatus, Strombus taurus and Cypraea mappa. All have unique reasons for being Guam's official shell.

Murex laqueatus (Sowerby, 1841) is one of the rarer Pacific murex, found almost exclusively around Guam. It's deep lavender color and beautiful lacey wings can't be overlooked. (See GSN Vol. 1 No. 1.)

Strombus taurus Reeve, 1857 is a large, beautifully colored conch limited to the Marianas and Marshall Islands. It is one of the most striking members of the Strombus family. It is usually found by divers around Guam. (See GSN Vol. 1 No. 2.)

Cypraea mappa Linné, 1758 is not a rare shell. The Map Cowry, however, is an extremely popular shell with collectors and is readily available here on Guam. Apra Harbor's "Maps" are known the world over for their unique base colors and beautiful patterns. Purple, pink, orange, and tan base maps are often found on hte reefs and shoals in Apra Harbor. Perhaps Guam's real claim on the Map Cowry should lie with the fantastic race of so called "Dwarf Maps" which are found exclusively in the Harbor. These dwarfs are fully mature cowries, being less than 2" (48mm) in length. The typical Map, when mature, will be between 3 & 4" (80 to 90 mm) in length. Maps can be found at deptsh from 2 to 30 feet. Their usual habitat is beneath large coral heads, rocks, or rubble. The Dwarf Map Cowries are sometimes associated with dead finger coral, which is covered with a green leafy algae. The Map Cowry was chosen by the Guam Shell Club because of its popularity and availability to all shell collectors on Guam.