Dear Harry, John, and all,
I came back a couple of weeks ago from Coquimbo, Chile where I attended the
IV Latin American Malacological Congress (great meeting). Coquimbo has been
one among a number of localities along the Chilean coast famous for their
traditional harvest of loco, which is considered a delicacy by coastal
Chileans. Unfortunately, populations of loco have dwindled due to
over-harvesting and the species has been officially banned from
sale/consumption by local authorities (although many batches of shell-less
loco were offered to me "under-the-counter" during a walk through the fish
market in nearby La Serena). Although the Chilean marine biologists are
busy successfully working in the aquaculture of many species of mollusks,
including two species of western Pacific abalone, not a lot of progress has
been made in culturing loco. According to a presentation given at the Latin
American Congress by American expatriate and naturalist Louis DiSalvo (he
himself a resident of Coquimbo), successful culture of loco is hampered,
among other factors, by the presence of a strange type of open-water,
plankton-feeding larva that stays attached to the substrate by a mucous
thread for most of the larval period. Just between me and you all, I tried
steamed loco, but much rather prefer breaded and fried "chochas", the large
Calyptraea trochiformis that is also endemic to the cold waters of South
America's West Coast.
Best,
Jose
At 09:19 AM 9/26/99 -0400, you wrote:
>At 08:56 AM 9/26/99 -0400, I wrote:
>>Dear Debbie, Helmut, et al.,
>
>>DiSalvo, Louis H. 1994. Adiós, Locos. Natural History [vol?]. October.
>>
>>Harry
>
>Emend that to: DiSalvo, Louis H. 1994. Adiós, Locos. Natural History
>[vol?]: 14-18. October.
>
>Sorry,
>Harry
>
>Harry G. Lee
>Suite 500
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__________________________________________________________
Jose H. Leal, PhD
Director - The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum
Editor-in-Chief - THE NAUTILUS
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