Here we describe four members from a family of northern European descent in which members had different erythrocyte morphology ranging from atypical HPP to HE to normal and a novel Sp mutation. Quantitation of RBC membrane proteins of the propositus with atypical non-microcytic HPP revealed 48% spectrin dimers (control 10%) due to a marked increase in the 74kD I Sp peptide. There was only a slight decrease in the spectrin/band 3 ratio, which correlated with the normocytic morphology. There was also an abnormal Sp peptide at 41kD suggesting presence of LELY. Sequencing of his Sp gene revealed heterozygosity for a novel mutation in exon 2, codon 34: CGG->CCG (Arg>Pro) and heterozygosity for LELY. These mutations were also present in his brother and daughter who have HE, while another son, who had Arg34Pro, but not LELY has repeatedly confirmed normal morphology.