For species that the author is not alive to ask the reason for a certain
name ("oh, that's my cat's name: he's like one of the family and i just
thought she deserved a mollusc named in her honor..."), one often just
has to guess: a pleasant way to fill a few idle moments!

I have always wondered about Strombus urceus - the "little bear conch":
any ideas on this one?  Sure doesn't look like a bear or any portion
thereof to me!!

Regards from the Edge of the World,
ross.