Art & Co.;
        Do not underestimate the # of spp not yet "known to science", even in
relatively well-known areas- remember my friend's little search of
shallow water on the southern shore of one island in the Carribean
yielding 300 new species!!  The micro-fauna of the world's molluscan
hosts is decidedly poorly known, since it is more fun for many people to
go after the sexy families like Conidae- and even there, it seems that
new spp are coming out every day (didn't Mr. P. name a cone after his
pet cat last Friday or so??).  The deep oceans are full of surprises,
and researchers are turining up an abundance of new spp- far more than
one might suppose!  From what i have heard, we probably don't even have
half of the world's molluscs named, and i have heard estimates down to
20%(by those who are most gung-ho about the depths).  The "golden age"
of conchology is NOW.
                                                                                                        -Ross M.