Welcome to my website for Cowry enthusiasts!
Please visit our brand new companion website for Natural History Collectors!
www.NaturalHistoryAuctions.com
Updated September 12!
It seems that many collectors and sellers of cowries experience confusion when it comes to the taxonomy of the onyx/succincta group. There are currently a few offers on the internet for succincta melanesiae Schilder 1937 from Thailand. Succincta malanesiae does not occur in this locality. The type locality for succincta melanesiae is New Britain. The dark, often almost black colored specimens of succincta succincta (Linnaeus 1758) from Thailand are often called form andamanensis. I have not actually been successful in determining the original source of this forma description, if one of my readers knows the source please contact me! The true succincta melanesiae is a small, rather solid shell, with noticeably heavy and distinct dentition. It is a fairly rare species. The much more common succincta succincta from Thailand can often look very similar to the Melanesian specimens, but the differences in the dentition make a distinction between the two relatively easy.
I have created a little gallery of the group for your viewing pleasure HERE!
Other galleries of selected cowries from my collection will be following soon! Many thanks to all of you who have visited my site, I will continue to improve things and add additional content over the coming months. Suggestions are always welcomed!
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