For people who like to puzzle over small shells, I've been trying to
process a buccinid from my trip to Majuro last year. I believe it's one
species (possibly a Caducifer) with two forms. They differ in at least
three ways:

  A group of eight of them have decapitated spires, toothed outer lips,
and most have raised columellar plates. These are about 9mm. They seem
to have a greater tendency to have algal encrustation.

But two others have intact spires, smooth outer lips and no columellar
plates. These are about 12mm.

All of them are white with interrupted spiral brown bands and their
sculpture has axial ribs cut by spiral grooves. I obtained all of them
from under coral slabs on intertidal reef.

I can send jpg images if you contact me off-list, thanks.

[log in to unmask]
David Kirsh
Durham, NC

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