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Subject:
From:
Lynn Scheu <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Conchologists of America List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 21 Oct 1999 21:38:11 -0400
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I found a live albinistic (whatever that actually means) Busycon
contrarium about 6 inches long at Carl Johnson Park south of Estero
Island on the west coast of Florida a few years back. I say it was
albinistic instead of strictly albino because it was pure white but had
a tinge of lavender on the columella and in the aperture. (Someone
should clarify the terms albino and albinistic for me, I think.) The
animal was not pure white but neither was it black as B. contrarium
usually are in my experience. It was a rather uniform very pale gray.

Also, in answer to your rarity question, Don BArclay, I have a friend
whose mother collected on the flats at Marco for many years. My friend
has her mother's collection now and I would estimate that she has about
15 albino or albinistic Strombus alatus, all with Marco data. Most all
have opercs, so were found live. There are pure white on white, pure
white with lavender or purple apertures and one with an orangish
aperture on a pure white shell, another with a pink aperture on a pure
white shell. There must be some environmental factor or genetic strain
that causes so many white-if-not-albino shells to occur there. I suspect
the former because she has other non-conch species albinos from Marco as
well, just not in such great numbers as the strombs.

Lynn Scheu
Louisville, KY
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