Dear Marlo et al.,
Sally Kaicher, how we miss you!
My copy of the ABC book (De Jong, K. M. and H. E. Coomans, 1988. Marine
gastropods from Curaçao, Aruba and Bonaire. E. J. Brill, Leiden, v + pp
1-261 incl. 47 pls.) has more marginalia than text on p. 86 (where Marlo was
reading). The authors have what I consider a correct view of d'Orbigny's
Nassa antillarum. I have just swivelled my chair around from the
stereomicroscope through which I had viewed the microfilmed lectotype (plate
23, figs. 1, 2 of d’Orbigny, A., 1842. Mollusques. In: Histoire Physique,
Politique, et Naturelle de l’île de Cuba Vol. 2. by Ramón de la Sagra.
Paris, pp. 1-112 [pp. 113-380 ?1853], Atlas (pls. 1-28). DeJ. & C. (and
their artist Zaagman) have the same squat bluntly angulate shell with
moderately conspicuous spirals that d'Orbigny illustrated. Sally (card
3232; Nassarius antillarum) stated that only two of the [nine] syntypes [in
the British Museum (Natural History)] matched the description [and
illustration] - and I believe that (based in part on other information we
needn't explore at present). De J. & C. and Sally agree on this ID.
Tucker (Abbott, R. T., 1974. American seashells. Second edition. Van
Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York, pp. 1-663 incl. numerous text figs. + 24
pls.) did a galactic lumping job on the W. Atlantic Nassariidae; it is
simply not a tenable system.
N. antillarum (d'Orbigny, 1842) and N. albus (Say, 1826) [the latter is a
bit of a guess as the type cannot be found; I follow Kaicher (card 3139)]
are different species! I think de J. & C. were trying to say that but
confused Marlo and (at first reading) me. For N. albus they refer to pl. 16
fig. 3 in Vokes, H. E. and E. H. Vokes, 1984. Distribution of shallow-water
marine mollusca, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Mesoamerican Ecological
Institute, Monograph 1, Middle American Research Institute, Publication 54
(1983): i-viii + 1-183, incl. 50 pls., which is the Kaicher concept of N.
albus (Say, 1826). DeJ. & C. imply that N. albus is not in the ABC fauna.
I am surprised by that.
Although deJ. & C. honored Sally (Nassarius kaicherae was named atop p. 97),
they failed to cite critical perspectives Sally put forth on her Nassarius
cards (pack 31: Nassariidae I; April, 1982). Of these insights, the most
relevant to this discussion is PROTOCONCH morphology. N. albus has a
3-whorled conical nucleus and N. antillarum a 2-whorled, more
rapidly-expanding broader protoconch. One can tell the (magnified)
teleoconchs apart almost all the time, but the protoconchs allow consistent
separation.
De J. & C. cite pl. 21, fig. o in Warmke G. L. and R. T. Abbott, 1961.
Caribbean Seashells. Livingstone Publishing Co., Narberth, PA, xx + pp.
1-348, incl. 44 pls. and fig. 2458 in Abbott (op. cit.) as examples of N.
antillarum (d'Orb.); these shells are not positively identifiable as
illustrated; they lack protoconch detail.
Kaicher (card 3232) includes S. E. Florida in the range of N. antillarum,
but I know of only one bona fide record from Florida; it appears to be
uncommon here.
Harry
At 07:53 PM 5/1/99 -0700, you wrote:
In their inventory of shells from the Netherlands Antilles deJong and
Coomans report N. antillarum (468, Pl. 4,5) and, if I understand their
presentation, appear to treat their shell as the N. albus (Say, 1826)
figured in Abbott's American Seashells, 1974 (2458). Abbott relegates
antillarum to
synonymity for albus.
Any comments? Are they the same? If not, what distinguishes them? Has
anyone collected antillarum in Florida and where? I've collected what I
thought was albus in the Keys.
Marlo
Merritt Island, Florida
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Harry G. Lee
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Suite 500, 1801 Barrs Street
Jacksonville, FL 32204
U. S. A. 904-384-6419
Visit the Jacksonville Shell Club Home Page at:
http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/wfrank/jacksonv.htm
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