In response to Fabio's question about reports of
purple dye for Olividea; yes, I have observed the same
neon green turning to intense purple dye that
permanently stained the shells of some Olividae I've
collected. I've observed a variety of Olividae in the
water and I've never seen the green or purple color on
the animal. Perhaps the secretion just washes away
underwater or is it possible that the substance only
develops color when exposed to air? Has anyone seen
the green secretion from animals in the water? This is
an interesting topic. Does anyone know more about the
chemistry, method of secretion or the function of this
substance?

John Flynn

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