Rinca and Komodo Islands

Indonesia

Two specimens of a spectacular population of Conus nobilis were found in the south of Rinca Island, on volcanic sand at 10-15 m. The two shells resemble nobilis f. victor from Flores, but have a taller, stepped spire. The dark color pattern is quite remarkable. Hopefully, more specimens from this particular locality can be found, to allow comparison with other, better known, populations.

 

Further interesting findings of other molluscan families from the trip are still pending to be sorted and passed on to the respective experts. Interestingly, the range of species we encountered in the area of Komodo and Rinca is quite different from that of the surrounding islands and Atolls, the south of Sulawesi, such as the "Wakatobi"- group, Batu Ata, Bali, and the eastern Sundas that we have visited on previous trips, e.g. Patar, Alor, Wetar, and Moa.