Cymbula miniata sanguinans: Previous authors have commented on the occurrence of geographical variation in Patella miniata Born. Thus, while reducing sanguinans to a synonym of miniata, Koch (1949: 506) mentioned that it was 'found more frequently as one travels eastwards. However, this statement is not quite correct, for, as observed by Stephenson, sanguinans completely replaces miniata in the eastern part of its range. Koch's error can be explained by the fact that his easternmost examples were from Qolora which actually lies within the zone of intergradation between the two.
Patella miniata is here regarded as polytypic, divisible into two subspecies. The nominate subspecies inhabits the more temperate western part of the range, the subspecies sanguinans the warmer eastern sector. The two meet and hybridize in the Port Alfred-Qolora area, and specimens from here sometimes cannot be relegated with confidence to one or the other. Nevertheless the zone of intergradation occupies such a small area of the total range of the species that there is no basis for regarding variation as merely clinal.
The two subspecies may be diagnosed thus:
* Radial ribs coarser and more unequal, major ribs markedly angular in transverse
section. Coloured with thin radial streaks of pink or vermilion (rarely brownish-red) on a
whitish ground. Adult length rarely over 80 mm (west Cape) or 60 mm (eastern Cape).
Range: Port Nolloth to Qolora (Stephenson). Patella miniata miniata Born, 1778.
* Radial ribs finer, much more regular and markedly less angular. Coloured with wide
rays of deep brown or dark red (the colour of dried blood), sometimes almost uniformly
dark, with the pale ground colour showing as thin rays. Adult length often over 90 mm.
Range: Port Alfred to Umhlali. Patella miniata sanguinans Reeve, 1856.
The type locality of P. m. sanguinans, as given by Reeve, is Cape Natal (i.e. the Point, Durban). Designation of a type locality for P. m. miniata should be left in abeyance until population variation and possible relationships with the West African P. safiana Lamarck, 1819, has been investigated.