Oliva incrassata

OLiVA
the
Oliva incrassata (Lightfoot in Solander, 1786)
© Maurizio A. Perini
Card n.07 - Revision: 01/2012 ~ Page 1-6
Synonyms
Voluta incrassata (Lightfoot in
Solander, 1786)
Oliva angulata Lamarck, 1811
Oliva incrassata burchorum
Zeigler, 1969
Oliva incrassata nivea Pilsbry,
1910
Oliva incrassata (Lightfoot in Solander, 1786)
Introduction
Few people know that when Lightfoot wrote the “Portland Catalogue” he did not describe
species but described lots of an auction. In that catalogue only one Oliva species was published
and it appeared in three different lots: 264, 2315 and 3696. Original description:
- 264. Voluta incrassata. S. Martyn, 499, 500 … very rare.
- 2315. “A fine specimen of Voluta incrassata. S. Martyn. Vol.II – very rare, f.499, 500”
- 3696. “A very fine pair of Voluta incrassata, S. extremely scarce … Martyn, vol.II. 499.
500”
We can note that:
A) Lightfoot described this oliva as Voluta and in citations of this species, his name should
be enclosed in parentheses (ICZN art.51c).
B) Lightfoot utilised the manuscript name given by Solander (see the “S.” in the text).
C) Lightfoot cited the figures 499 and 500 by Martini (written “Martyn” in the text). These
figures clearly correspond to the unanimous concept of this species.
This Oliva species is well known and easily identifiable. A good description of this shell was
written by Zeigler & Porreca in 1969 :
“The Angled Olive is the heaviest member of the genus and is easily distinguished by its very
thickened angular growth and its bold splashes of zigzags and coloring. The shell is ponderous,
ventricose, very thick, ovate, angularly swollen above the middle, and hass a rather short
spire.. the columella is very callous with almost obsolete flat plaits. The color is ash-white,
mottled with gray and olive, and longitudinally painted at intervals with sharply angled
transverse dark chestnut streaks. The lip and columella are a beautiful fleshy rosy pink.“
This species has two forms usually found in the northern end of Gulf of California (San Felipe
area):
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forma burchorum Zeigler, 1969. Named for John Q. and Rose L. Burch, this is a
completely golden form, deep orange in the juvenile specimens and light yellow in the
adults.
forma nivea Pilsbry, 1910. This is a rare pure white abino. The WRS for this shell
seems to be 54.3mm.
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Key Discriminators
Plate 1. Oliva incrassata Lightfoot in Solander, 1786). This species has a shell very heavy.
“A” Spire narrow, “B” Hump, “C” Background cream-yellow, white or bluish, “D” Outer lip very
thick, “E” Anterior band usually undivided, “F” Upper part of columella sometime with a purple
color, “G” Aperture cream, “H” The columella shows 3 or 4 folds, “I” Protoconch from high to
very high, “L” Filament channel moderately narrow, always open, “M” Very large high callus is
present in the older specimens.
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Live Mollusk no picture available
Growth Series
Plate 2. Oliva incrassata (Lightfoot in Solander, 1786). Growth series, specimens with bluish-grey
background and size from 29.80mm to 68.45mm. From Punta Estrella, South San Felipe, Baja California,
Mexico. October, 1997.
Plate 3. Oliva incrassata (Lightfoot in Solander, 1786). Growth series, specimens with yellowish-orange
background and size from 30.05mm to 60.10mm. From Bahia San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico.
October 1997.
Range and Size
This species is present on the Pacific side of Central America from Colombia to Mexico. Oliva
incrassata is also found in Gulf of California but not on the Pacific coast of Baja California. The
adult size is usually less than 90mm.
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Iconography
Plate 4. Oliva
incrassata
(Lightfoot in
Solander, 1786).
Juvenile
specimens with
size from
26.35mm to
31.00mm.
From Bahia San
Felipe, Baja
California Norte,
Mexico.
Plate 5. Oliva incrassata (Lightfoot in Solander, 1786). Adult specimens from San Felipe, northern end of
Gulf of California, Baja California, Mexico. Size 68.10mm, 69.30mm and 72.00mm.
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Plate 6. Oliva incrassata (Lightfoot in Solander, 1786). In this species the presence of a ridge (R) is not
rare. These specimens are usually call “corded”. Size: 48.65mm (left) and 53.55mm (right). From Pacific
coast of Panama.
Plate 7. Oliva incrassata (Lightfoot in Solander, 1786). This is the forma burchorum Zeigler, 1969.
The size of these shells is from 38.20mm to 49.75mm. From San Felipe area, B.C., Mexico.
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Plate 8. Oliva incrassata (Lightfoot in Solander, 1786). This is the forma nivea Pilsbry, 1910. LEFT:
size 40.10mm from San Felipe, B.C., Mexico. RIGHT: size 39.60mm from Laguna Percebu,
South San Felipe, B.C., Mexico.
Bibliography
Tursch B., Duchamps R. & Greifeneder D.. Studies on Olividae, XX. The pre-Lamarckian names
for Oliva species. APEX 9 (2/3) 51-78, July, 1994
Zeigler R.F. & Porreca H.C.. Olive Shells of the World. Rochester Polychrome Press, N.Y. 1969.
the
OLiVA
Maurizio A. Perini
Contrada Zausa 4, 36015 St.Caterina di Schio (VI) – ITALY
e-mail: melapium@yahoo.it
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