Dear Conch-eller's,
You all are ardent students of conchology/malacology, but understandably,
few are knowledgeable about the freshwater mollusc fauna.  One of the most
perplexing genus of any type of molluscs anywhere is the American
Elliptio's which are extraordinarily variable and have had every minor
variation named and renamed over the years.  In most part, they are
troublesome to name, especially the ones from the U.S. southeast.  This new
web site is very informative and we appreciate Dr. Tom's and Ohio State's
work on this.  I was at Lake Waccamaw in North Carolina a few weeks ago,
and was able to confirm finding a few dead E. folliculata, which look like
little E. shepardiana.  Now if I can only identify the other Elliptios from
there!  Take a look to see some of the interesting diversity in this
group.  The other freshwater genera are generally much easier to identify.
. .
Thanks for a great new resource.
Alan Gettleman
Merritt Island, FL


George Watters wrote:

> The Mollusc Division of the Ohio State University Museum of Biological
> Diversity is online at:
>
> http://www.biosci.ohio-state.edu/~molluscs/OSUM2
>
> Who we are, what we do, ongoing projects. And a special bonus: Electric
> Elliptio Land -- a showcase of the perplexing freshwater mussel genus
> Elliptio. Coming soon -- Digital Murex, a guide to the entire muricid
> group. And a photographic tour of the Museum's type collection.
>
> G. Thomas Watters, PhD
> Curator of Molluscs
> Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology
> Museum of Biological Diversity
> The Ohio State University
> 1315 Kinnear Road
> Columbus, OH 43212
> v: 614-292-6170
> f: 614-292-7774
> [log in to unmask]