Semicassis granulata granulata form cicatricosa Page Two

Semicassis granulata granulata (Born, 1778) form cicatricosa (Gmelin, 1791)

Semicassis granulata granulata (Born, 1778) form cicatricosa (Gmelin, 1791)
    So how does S. cicatricosa differ from its closest relative, S. granulata? I have two specimens from NE Florida [Fig. 4; Fig. 5], three from Bimini, and one from Cuba which I would assign to S. cicatricosa without hesitation. Like the various figures in the literature, It is relatively smooth with a predominance of close-set axial ridges which may, as on the dorsal convexity of the specimen in the type figure, give way to a malleated texture as in Figs. 5 and 6. The shell in Fig 5 also shows rather regular enlargement of the some axial ribs on the spire and body whorl, where about a dozen discrete ridges run varying distances across the apical aspect before beginning to fade well above the periphery (form peristephes Pilsbry and McGinty, 1939). These ridges may be narrowly scalloped by up to four otherwise subtle and widely-spaced spiral cords crossing the more prominent portion of the ridges. This certainly contrasts sharply with the reticulated sculpture of the body whorl on the type figure of the Born species [Fig. 2], but the fact is that only a few of the approximately 75 Scotch Bonnets examined by me have that even checkerboard sculpture. Most of them actually exhibit broad, flat spiral cords separated by deep narrow grooves which clearly dominate the axial sculpture [Fig. 7, Fig. 8], sculpture on the spire consists of very fine, discrete, close-set cords which on the body whorl become more widely spaced and granular as they are interrupted by the spiral grooves. On a substantial number of specimens the axial sculpture undergoes distinct obsolescence on the body whorl [Fig. 9], which is definitely a tendency toward the sculpture of S. cicatricosa. Now it's time to come clean, I took some liberties here: Figs. 6 and 8 are different aspects of the body whorl of the same shell; see Fig. 10! This Scotch Bonnet is wearing two hats, changing abruptly at a mid body whorl varix from typical (S. granulata) sculpture to that of S. cicatricosa. Given the variability evident in this series of specimens, I think the onion has been laid bare, and Dr. Abbott's unitarian concept can be safely applied. Scotch Bonnets can come in a spectrum of textures from "granulate" to smooth, but they're all members of the same species Semicassis granulata (Born, 1778).

Semicassis granulata granulata (Born, 1778) form cicatricosa (Gmelin, 1791)

Semicassis granulata granulata (Born, 1778) form cicatricosa (Gmelin, 1791)  

     Abbott (1968: 158) reported examining shells intermediate between S. granulata and S. cicatricosa, which fact induced his synonymy of the two. However, he never produced a figure of such an intermediate, and I don't recall seeing one depicted elsewhere in the literature.

    Acknowledgements: The writer thanks Richard I. Johnson (Chestnut Hill, MA) for help navigating the bibliographic arcana of Gronovius and Meuschen. Charlotte Lloyd and Bill Frank lent specimens for reference, and Mr. Frank provided valuable image-editing and other editorial assistance.

Abbott, R.T., 1968. The helmet shells of the world (Cassidae). Part 1. Indo-Pacific Mollusca 2(9): 7-198. Aug. 30.

Born, I.A., 1778. Index rerum naturalium Musei Caesarei Vindobonensis Verzeichniss der natürlichen Seltenheiten des K.K. naturalien Kabinets zu Wien: Erster Theil, Schalthiere. Pars 1 : Testacea. J.P. Kraus, Vienna. [xxxviii] + pp. 1-458 + lxxviii] + 1 plate. Available on-line

Born, I.A., 1780. Testacea Musei Caesarei Vindobonensis, quae jussu Mariae Theresiae Augustae disposuit et descripsit Ignatius a Born. J.P. Kraus, Vienna. ii + pp. 1-442 + xvii.

Bouchet, P. and J.-P. Rocroi, 2005. Classification and nomenclator of gastropod families. Malacologia 47(1-2): 1-397.

Brünnich, M.T., 1772. Zoologiae fundamenta praelectionibus academicis accomodata. Grunde i Dyrelaeren, Hafniae et Lipsiae. Pp. 1-254. [not seen]

Chemnitz, J.H., 1788. Neues Systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet 10. Kaspischen Buchhandlung, Nürnberg. [xxiv] + 376 pp., pls. 137-173. post Feb 1. [not seen, but refer to Richardson et al. (1979: pl. 153, figs. 1463-1464), the only figure for Buccinum abbreviatum Gmelin (1791: 3478; species 181), a Demoulea incorrectly synonymized with B. cicatricosum Gmelin, 1791 by Clench (1944: 8)].

Clench, W.J., 1944. The genera Casmaria, Galeodea, Phalium, and Cassis in the western Atlantic. Johnsonia 1(14): 1-16. Oct. 28.

Dance, S.P., 1986. A history of shell collecting. E.J. Brill - Dr. W. Backhuys, Leiden, 1986, pp. 1-265 + xv + 32 pls. + frontispiece.

De Jong, K.M. and Coomans, H.E., 1988. Marine gastropods from Curaçao, Aruba and Bonaire. E. J. Brill, Leiden. v + pp. 1-261 incl. 47 pls.

Dillwyn, L.W., 1817. A descriptive catalogue of Recent shells 1, 2. London, xii + pp. 1-1092. Available on-line

Gibson-Smith, J. and W. Gibson-Smith. 1981. Casmaria atlantica Clench (Mollusca: Gastropoda): thoughts on its evolution. The Veliger 23: 352-353. 1 April.

Gronovius, L.T., "1764" [1763]. Zoophylacii Gronoviani, fasciculus primus exhibens Animalia Quadripeda Amphibia atque Pisces, quae in museo suo adservat, examini subjecit, rite examinavit systematice disposuit, descripsit, atquae iconibus illustravit Laur. Theod. Gronovius J.U.D. Gronow, Leiden. [ii] + pp 1-136 + [4] + plates 1-"13" [14: 8, 8a]. [not seen].

Gronovius, L.T., 1764. Zoophylacii Gronoviani, fasciculus secundus exhibens enumerationem Insectorum, quae in Museo suo adservavit, examini subjecit, systematice disposuit atque descripsit Laur. Theod. Gronovius J.U.D. Gronow, Leiden. [ii] + pp. 141-236 + plates 14-17. [not seen].

Gronovius, L.T. [F.C. Meuschen, ed.], 1781a. Zoophylacii Gronoviani fasciculus tertius exhibens Vermes, Mollusca, Testacea, et Zoophyta, quae in Museo suo adservat, examini subjecit, systematice disposuit atque descripsit Laur. Theod. Gronovius. Theodore Haak & Co. and Johannes & Samuel Luchtmans, Leiden. [ii] + i-iv + pp. 241-380 + [1-19 unpaginated] + 2 + pls. 18-20. [see also Meuschen, 1781: the 19 pp. unpaginated index] [not seen].

Gronovius, L.T. [F.C. Meuschen, ed.], 1781b. Zoophylacium Grovonianum exhibens Animalia Quadripeda, Amphibia, Pisces, Insecta, Vermes, Mollusca, Testacea, et Zoophyta quae in Museo suo adservavit, examini subjecit, systematice disposuit atque descripsit Laur. Theod. Gronovius. [iv] + i-vi + pp. 1-380 + [1-19 unpaginated] + 21 plates (1-8, 8a-20)]. [This is a version bound with a new title page and containing the 1763, 1764, and 1781a works; a copy was offered for sale by Dutch bookseller Dieter Schierenberg for a mere $7,500.00 in April, 2010] [not seen].

Gyllenhal, L., 1813. Insecta Suecica. Classis I. Coleoptera sive Eleuterata, Tomus I, pars III. Scaris. Pp. 1-734.

Higgins, L.G., 1950, The "Zoophylacium Gronovianum," 1781 and Meuschen's Index. Journal of the Society for the Bibliography of Natural History 2(6): 185-186. October.
Available (subscription) on-line at: <http://www.euppublishing.com/doi/abs/10.3366/jsbnh.1950.2.6.185>.

ICZN (International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature), 1910. Opinions rendered by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature Opinions 1 to 25. Smithsonian Institute Washington Publication no. 1938: 1-61. July. [Pp. 48-50: Opinion 20. Shall the Genera of Gronow, 1763, be Accepted?]  [not seen].

ICZN (International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature), 1925. Opinions rendered by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature Opinions 82-90. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections 73(3):1-40. 16 Dec. [Pp. 27-33: Opinion 89. Suspension of the Rules in the case of Gronow 1763, Commerson 1803, Gesellschaft Schauplatz 1775 to 1781, Catesby 1771, Browne 1789, Valmont de Bomare 1768 to 1775.] [not seen].

ICZN (International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature), 1950. Meuschen's index to Gronovius, 1763-1781, "Zoophylacium Gronovianum." Bulletin of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 4: 502-504. [not seen]

ICZN (International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature), 1954a. Opinion 260. Rejection for Nomenclatorial Purposes of the Work by Meuschen (F.C.) Issued in 1778 under the title Museum Gronovianum. Opinions and Declarations Rendered by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 5(21): 265-280, 2 plates. 10 August. [not seen].

ICZN (International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature), 1954b. Opinion 261. Rejection for nomenclatural purposes of the Index to the Zoophylacium Gronovianum of Gronovius prepared by Meuschen (F. C.) and published in 1781. Opinions and Declarations Rendered by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 5(22): 281-296, 1 plate. 10 August. [Although not apparent from the title of the paper, all three "fascicles," Gronovius, 1763, 1764, and 1781a (together = Gronovius, 1781b) of the Zoophylacii Gronoviani ... as well as Meuschen's (1781) Index to the last, were apparently rejected with this action; see ICZN, 1958: 3)] [not seen].

ICZN (International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature), 1958. Official index of rejected and invalid works in zoological nomenclature First installment: names 1-58. International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature, London. x + pp. 1-14. 7 July.

ICZN (International Commission for Zoological Nomenclature), 1999. International code of zoological nomenclature fourth edition. International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature, London. Pp. 1-306 + i-xxix. Available on-line

Kreipl, K., 1997. Recent Cassidae. Verlag Christa Hemmen, Weisbaden, Germany. Pp. 1-151.

Latreille P.A., 1825. Familles naturelles du règne animal, exposées succinctement et dans un ordre analitique, avec l'indication de leurs genres. Paris, J.B. Baillière, Paris. 1-570. Available on-line

Linnaeus, C., 1758. Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio duodecima, reformata. Laurentius Salvius, Holmia (Stockholm). Pp. 1-823 + i. [Reprinted in facsimile by the British Museum of Natural History, London, 1956 (+ v).]
On-line at < http://gdz.sub.uni-goettingen.de/no_cache/dms/load/img/?IDDOC=265100 >.

Linné, C. von, 1767. Systema Naturae, seu per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus II Editio duodecima, reformata. Laurentius Salvius, Holmia (Stockholm). Pp. 533-1327. Available on-line at < http://gdz.sub.uni-goettingen.de/no_cache/dms/load/img/?IDDOC=215230 >. [species no. 453, to which Meuschen (1787: 392, species no. 1290) made reference, is Buccinum glaucum L.]

[Gmelin, J.F.] Linné, C. a, 1791. Systema naturae 13th edition, volume 1, part 6: Vermes. Emanual Beer, Leipzig. Pp. 3021-3909. [Vermes testacea 3202-3748]. Available on-line

Martini, F.H.W., 1773. Neues systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet volume 2. Nurnberg, Berlin. vignettes 17-26 + plates 32-65, figs 341-732. [not seen, but refer to Richardson et al., 1979].

Melville, R.V., 1974. Opinion 1023: Cassidae (Mollusca) and Cassidinae (Insecta), placed ion the official list of family-group names in zoology. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 31(3): 127- 129. [not seen]

Meuschen, F.C., 1778. Museum Gronovianum, sive index rerum naturalium tarn Mammalium, Amphibiorum, Piscium, Insectorum, Conchyliorum, Zoophytorum, Plantarum, et Mineralium, exquisitissimorum quam arte factarum nonnullarum, inter quae emmet herbarius siccus plantarum a Toumefortio Claitonio Linnaeo aliisque botanicis collectarum, quae omnia multa cura et magnis sumptibus sibi comparavit vir amplissimus & celeberrimus Laur. Theod. Gronovius J. V.D. Civitatis Lugduno Batavae** Senator et Scabinus Societatis Regiae Londinensis Brasilaeensis et Hollandiae quae Harlemi est aliorumque Socius &c. Rotterdam. [i]- [vi] + pp. 3-251 + [i] + 1 plate. Available on-line

Meuschen, F.C. 1781. Index, continens nomina generica specierum propria, trivialia ut et synonyma. In L.T. Gronovius, Zoophylacium Gronovianum, exhibens Animalia, Quadrupeda, Amphibia, Pisces, Insecta, Vermes, Mollusca, Testacea, et Zoophyta, quae in museo suo adservavit, examini subjecit, systematice disposuit atque descripsit. Theodore Haak & Co., Samuel and Johannes Luchtmans, Leiden. 1-19, unpaginated. [not seen].

Meuschen, F.C., 1787. Museum Geversianum et index rerum naturalium continens instructissimam pretiosissimorum omnis generis ex tribus regnis naturae objectorum quam ... Abrahamus Gevers. P. and J. Holsteyn, Rotterdam. iv + 659 pp. Available on-line

Myers, G.S., 1949. The family name of the characid fishes. Copeia 1949(3): 195-204. 15 Sept. Available (subscription) on-line at: < http://www.jstor.org/pss/1438986>.

Richardson, L., R.T. Abbott, and G.M. Davis, 1979. Early references to the figures in the Conchylien Cabinet of Martini and Chemnitz: volumes I-XII. Tryonia 2(1): 1-225 + pls. 1-193 + vignettes 1-44; 2(2): 226-427 + pls. 1-237 + vignettes 1-26. August 1.

Rosenberg, G., 2009. Malacolog 4.1.1: A Database of Western Atlantic Marine Mollusca. [WWW database (version 4.1.1)] URL http://www.malacolog.org/.

Suter, H., 1913. Manual of the New Zealand Mollusca. Government Printer, Wellington. xxii + 1120. Available on-line.

Wenz, W., 1938- 944. Handbuch der Paläzoologie, herausgegeben von O.H. Schindewolf. Band 6. Gastropoda Teil 1: Allgemeiner Teil und Prosobranchia 1-1639 + xii + 1-9:
        Teil 1  1-240  March, 1938     
        Teil 2  241-480 October, 1938
        Teil 3  481-720 July, 1939
        Teil 4  721-960 August, 1940
        Teil 5  961-1200  October, 1941
        Teil 6  1201-1506 October, 1943
        Teil 7  1507-1639 + i-xii (the latter, of course, contained the chronology) November, 1944. Date(s) for 9 pp. of corrigenda appearing at the end of the work not given.

Wheeler, A.C., 1956. The Zoophylacium of Laurens Theodore Gronovius. Journal of the Society for the Bibliography of Natural History 3(3): 152-157. Jan. Available on-line.

Winckworth, R., 1926. Notes on nomenclature. 1. The Schediasma of Meuschen. Proc. Mal. Soc. London 17(2-3): 103-106. [not seen]

Woodward, B.B. et al. [eds.], 1903-1940. Catalogue of the books, manuscripts, maps and drawings in the British Museum (Natural History). Vols. 1-5, 6-8 [supplement]. Facsimile edition. Maurizio Martino, New York.viii + Pp. 1-2403 + 1-1480 + 1-48 (addenda/corrigenda Vol. 1-2 included with vol. 6).

* The Zoophylacii have provided a challenge to bibliographers, and I have incorporated the research of Myers (1949), Higgins (1950), and Wheeler (1956) into the Gronovius citations above. Dieter Schierenberg provided some additional perspectives (see URL at the end of the Gronovius 1781b citation).
** Lugdunum batavorum is Leiden; it was a major printing and publishing center in the 16th-18th centuries.