Hi all

I forgot about the bleaching thing etc because that is something I
basically never do either to land or marine things (unless I need to clean
some specimens for measuring or illustration etc) so I didn't think of it.
As I hinted there are always exceptions. My basic feeling is if the
specimen looks find the way you found it then it is best to leave it that
way or clean enough of the rubbish etc attached to it to show the specimen
etc.

As for the periostracum thing for a large number of species of land,
freshwater and marine things you really don't notice it and it is not
necessary to remove. However, in other groups it can be very obvious or the
dominant 'shell' forming layer,  or for some species what appears to be
solid sculpture etc is actually the periostracum.

Like everything else some things you won't know what the effect of a
particular action will be until you give it a try eg a topically example is
what shells fluoresce etc.

So my best recommendation is experiment and see what does and does not work
that is how we learn, after all we were all beginners once.

Regards

Stephanie
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Stephanie A. Clark

Invertebrate Identification
Unit 4/17 Morris Street
PO Box 418
Summer Hill, NSW 2130
Australia

phone  61 (02) 9799 5689  fax  61 (02) 9799 5610  mobile  0412 372388
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