Dear Jan,

            According to Poppe & Goto (European Seashells Vol 1) Janthinidae
are rarely found in the Mediterranean, and are restricted to some Southern.
parts of the British Isles, the South coast of Portugal, Spain, the Canaries
and Madeira. They drift on the Gulf Stream, until the waters are too cold
for them to survive. In the early 80's   I found ~ 12 specimens of Janthina
janthina cast up on the beach after a storm at Waterville one of the
southernmost beaches in Ireland. It was in September and we had a
particularly good summer, so I assumed that water temperatures may have been
higher than average.  It is interesting to note that one of the specimens
which I had at first assumed was a juvenile was later identified by Dr D
Roberts, Queen's University, Belfast, as a Janthina pallida.  One of the few
that have ever been found in Ireland.

Stanley Francis (Belfast)