Pustularia cicercula (Linné, 1758)
Pustularia cicercula - Length: 16.2mm, Width: 9.7mm, Height: 8.8mm. Day, scuba, 60 ft, under coral rubble. Adelupe Point, Guam. Collected by Bob Abela on 13 June 2004.
Pustularia margarita - Length= 14.0mm, Width= 8.2mm, Height= 7.3mm. Night, scuba, 70 ft, underside of crevice. Ritidian Point, Guam. Collected by Bob Abela on 10 June 1988.
Distribution: Indo-Pacific.
Habitat: Usually found underneath coral rubble, often near sponge.
Availability: Uncommon on Guam.
Size: Guam specimens are typically around 15-18mm.
Comments: Closely related to Pustularia margarita (Dillwyn, 1817), also present on Guam. An image and table are provided for comparison. (A page for P. margarita will be presented when more images become available.)
| Dorsum Texture | Dorsal Sulcas | Spire Blotch | Columellar Teeth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P. cicercula | pustules | yes | yes | longer, extend towards margin |
| P. margarita | smooth | no | sometimes | shorter, centrally attenuated |
References:
Abbott, R. Tucker & S. Peter Dance. Compendium of Seashells. p. 84.
Burgess, C. M. 1985. Cowries of the World. p. 176.
Cernohorsky, Walter O. 1972. Marine Shells of the Pacific. Revised ed. p. 72. pl. 11, fig. 50.
Heiman, E. L. 2004. Diagnosing Cowry Species. p 37, 75.
Hinton, Alan. 1972. Shells of New Guinea and the Central Indo-Pacific. p. 30. pl. 15, fig. 1-2.
Kay, E. Alison. 1979. Hawaiian Marine Shells. p. 192. fig 67 C & D.
Kira, Tetsuaki. 1965. Shells of the Western Pacific in Color, Vol 1. p. 46. pl 19, fig. 18.
Lorenz, Felix & Alex Hubert. 2000. A Guide to Worldwide Cowries. 2nd ed. p. 219. pl. 102, fig. 1-18.
Springsteen, F. J. & F. M.Leobrera. 1986. Shells of the Philippines. p. 90. pl. 23, fig. 14.
Walls, Jerry. G. 1979. Cowries. Revised ed. p. 214.
Wilson, Barry. 1993. Australian Marine Shells, Part One. p. 190. pl. 35, fig. 8 a-b.