Doug SHELLton wrote,
"In the most recent issue of MALACOLOGICAL EXPOSITOR,  the renowned
malacologist, Tom Foolery has published the description of an astonishing
new species which has been recovered from the DeSoto Canyon in the northern
Gulf of Mexico off Pensacola, Florida.  Its discovery was a fluke as it was
caught in the trawl of Dr. Foolery's research vessel and the captain and
crew thought the net had been snagged on a huge rock.  When the crew could
not free the trawl it was winched by hand to the surface (a task which took
more than 24 hours).  To their surprise and the delight of Dr. Foolery, the
rock turned out to be a new species of Tridacna; the only species of the
genus to be found in the Atlantic.  This new species measured 14 feet in
length and weighed in at one ton; making the largest living mollusk in the
world.  This Megaclam as it has been termed was taken from a depth of 401
fathoms.  Dr. Foolery has named this megaclam TRIDACNA APRILIAUNO.   The
holotype and only known specimen has been deposited in the Florida Museum
of Natural History. According to museum personnel it has been given the
accession number 04011999."
 
SO typical, all the best Alabama shells seem to end up in Florida!
 
Maybe I should have studied veterinary medicine instead of shells. At least
then my surname ("Cattle Mountain") would be appropriate. I don't even live
on a mountain.
 
Andrew K. Rindsberg
Crazy in Alabama