Hi Nora,

I've been through the same thing with identifying shells, as
have most of us, I'm sure.  The strombid notch wasn't really
obvious, and I spent a long time trying to figure out what the
"fossula" was on a cowry.  The books I had all mentioned it,
and one even had a diagram pointing to the area, but none
really told WHAT it was.  The differences in turbans and trochids
may not be that obvious either, as a couple of species are very
close, but the differences in these are somewhat more obvious
if you are the one collecting them.  The turbans all have hard,
pebble-like operc's made of shell material, while the trochids
have thin, flexible, translucent brown discs for operc's.  This is
a fairly easy one, but as you look at more and more families,
the questions may get a bit more difficult to answer.  As Paul
says, the information is out there, but most of us don't have the
extensive library required for finding much of it.  And in my case,
I sometimes have the information in my books, but have to sort
through them to find what I'm looking for.  Other cases aren't so
easy, like "How do you tell a latiaxis from a murex..?" or "What's
the difference between a cypraeid and an ovulid?".  These are
ALMOST beginner-level questions, but answering them would
require reading the description of the genus (or subgenus, or
family) as laid out by the person who originally named it.  Or
asking on Conch-L, of course!

Cheers,



Don

----------
> From: NORA BRYAN <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Telling things apart.
> Date: Monday, December 06, 1999 4:17 AM
>
> For you guys that have actually SEEN most of the shells on this planet and
> understand the minutiae of their differences, yes this would be a daunting task
> to get into the nitty gritty, but what about beginner or intermediate
> collectors who have 'seen' most shells on this planet only by description or
> tiny little photos?  We could really benefit from some information that might
> seem too easy for you experts.  For example, when I was just starting out, I
> had a hard time telling strombids from other similar shaped shells until I
> realized the strombids have a stromboid notch.  Too stupid to mention?   That's
> a very basic one but there are others a little tougher,  but still simple for
> experts. I still have a hard time telling some turbans from trochids.  Maybe
> the distinction lies in the habits or in the soft part of the animal, so having
> just the shell isn't helpful, but I don't know. Also, telling juveniles from
> mature specimens can be really tough, especially because there are so few
> pictures in general guides.
> How do others feel - would a beginner to intermediate guide be helpful?  With a
> foundation like that, a more detailed expert level could then be layered on
> top.
>
> Nora
> Calgary, Alberta
> CANADA
>