Deep water limpet ? titanictus? maybe it depends on which side of the rock
it was found , good point by the way . anything new ? we have may eggs from
the zebras (poephilia guttata )  and i believe at least one baby. we also
added a pair of society or bengalese finches (loechura domestica) strange
little guys as they have a good habit of taking ove r a nest and raising the
young as for the genetic crossing bit our indian silverbills (loechura
punctutata) are breeding w/ the spice finches (loechura stricta ) all the
loechuira are in a subfamily called mannikins and thusly can interbreed ,
the poephilia can not breed with the loechura (sort of like humans . we can
breed interracial but we can't breed w/ say a chimpanse (except in episode
24 of the X-files ) all 4 naw, Mark & Peta  Bethke
Hollywood, Florida
-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Eichhorst <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Friday, October 02, 1998 2:32 AM
Subject: Re: Hybrids within the Cypraeidae
 
 
>Emilio,
>I think you are right on.  The entire concept of species is clear cut only
in old
>texts.  As we learn more, the definition of species becomes a bit wider and
very,
>very cloudy.  One way species are separated and defined is whether or not
they
>mate with each other in their natural habitat.  This is not a separation of
>species because their offspring would be infertile but a separation because
they
>are separate.  Thus if they have differentiating physical traits and are
>geographically separate OR separated by closely related subspecies, then
they can
>be considered separate species that may indeed have viable offspring if
they were
>brought together in another environment.
>
>To use your cichlid example, four subspecies of fish-X are found in Lake
Malawi;
>labeled pop-a, pop-b, pop-c, and pop-d.  Pop-a is on the North end of the
lake,
>pop-b is adjacent to pop-a to the South, pop-c is next, and finally pop-d
is the
>most Southern population (fried chicken, accent with a deep drawl and all).
>Sorry got carried away.  Anyway, in this example pop-a can interbreed with
pop-b,
>and pop-b with pop-c, and pop-c with pop-d.  However, pop-a cannot
interbreed
>with pop-d, it is too far and there are all of these darn fish in between.
These
>two (a and d) will probably be considered species and the two populations
between
>(b and c) will be intergrades or subspecies.  And no one knows or really
cares if
>a and d can successfully interbreed!!!  It is enough that they do not.
>
>One more example and I'll quit, I promise.  Where I live in New Mexico,
USA, it
>is against the law to keep and raise exotic mammals unless you have a
specific
>license, over 3,000 acres or are an established zoo.  This is unlike our
eastern
>neighbors in Texas where any ranch can have African antelope, giraffes, or
>whatever - no matter how small the ranch.  Not here.  However, if you go to
my
>youngest brother's place just down the road, you will see a beautiful Ibex
goat.
>This is certainly an exotic and yet my brother lives on only 10 acres.  He
can
>legally do this because the goat is only 15/16 Ibex and 1/16 domestic goat.
>These two separate species have been interbred for years and all of the
offspring
>are viable.  Both goats are from common old world stock that speciated
many, many
>years ago.  For countless years they did not mate and reproduce across
species
>lines, not because they couldn't but because they didn't.  Now, if we want
a goat
>with wild horns we can cross Ibex with domestics, get our wild horns but
still
>have a legally domestic goat.  A bizarre law but not nearly as bizarre as
some in
>nature.
>
>The proceeding sermon was brought to you by a history major so don't get
too
>worked up if I bent a biological point or two.
>
>And speaking of shells, I recently purchased a deep water limpet, Amathena
>tricarinata (Linnaeus, 1758) from Tom Rice's place but I can't seem to find
its
>proper family.  Anyone know where this guy belongs?  Thanks,
>
>Tom Eichhorst in New Mexico, USA
>