>Interesting thought Andrew - it brings up the question "what exactly
>constitutes a common name?" Before I say anything else, let me say
>that my comments on common names will necessarily refer to english
>common names, because that is my mindset. I do realize that the same
>shell I call a nutmeg or a jewelbox or an auger may have quite
>different names in German or Spanish or Japanese, and those names may
>or may not have any relevance to the english names. In fact, it might
>be interesting to hear some of the common names which apply in other
>languages for species in some of the common families. Anyway, in
>reading Andrew's post, it struck me that Nautilus is clearly a common
>name (in english), and is also a genus name. There is no other common
>english name for the animals in this genus. Likewise for Octopus.
>The names Unio, Chiton, and Murex are used similarly, though, unlike
>Nautilus, they are used to describe species in a number of related
>genera, not just the specific genus used as the name. Some very old
>books may refer to Murex as rock shells, but that name is pretty
>nearly obsolete now as a general term. In modern usage it applies
>only to the subfamily Thaidinae (Thais, Purpura, Nucella, etc.). So,
>Murex, it seems, would qualify as an accepted common name. On the
>other hand, I am not as sure that Pecten qualifies as a common name.
>Certainly a majority of collectors refer to members of the family
>Pectinidae as "Pectens". But we also speak of cowries as "Cypraeas"
>and nutmegs as "Cancellarias". Do Cypraea and Cancellaria qualify as
>common names? If not, why Pecten? After all, there is the english
>term "scallop" for the same group of animals. Just offering a few
>ideas here for consideration - when does a genus name qualify as a
>common name? Is it only when no other common name exists? That
>probably is not a good definition, as there are many families of
>mollusks that have no common names at all, and by that definition
>names like Trochomorpha and Stiliger would become common names.
>Of course, there are many cases where the common name is a
>translation of the genus name, or is at least directly derived from
>it - Nerite from Nerita; Olive from Oliva; Volute from Voluta; Cone
>from Conus; Miter from Mitra; Tellin from Tellina; etc. But this is
>not quite the same as using the actual unadulterated genus name as
>the common name.
>
>Paul Monfils
Paul,
My wife is Japanese and you're right; the common names in other cultures
are very different. Here are a few English translations for Japanese
families:
Conidae=Imogai=Yam shell, Cypraeidae=Takaragai=Treasure shell,
Ischitonidae=Hizaragai= Pleat shell, Arcidae=Funegai=Boat shell,
Ficidae=Ichigigugai=Fig shell(the same), Naticidae=Tamagai=Ball shell,
Terebridae=Takenokogai=Bamboo Shoot shell,
Fasciolariidae=Itomakiboragai=Spool shell, Acmaeidae=Kasagai= Umbrella
shell, Dentaliidae= Sunogai=Horn shell Architectonicidae=Kurumagai=Wheel
shell, Trochidae=Uzugai=Whirlpool shell, Mitridae=Fudegai=Writing Brush
shell, Olividae=Makuragai=Pillow shell, Pinnidae=Hokigai=Broom shell,
Haliotidae = Mimigai=Ear shell(for Daniel Geiger). Those are just a few.
My wife suggests the following books and authors: Marine Shell-Bearing
Mollusks, Okutani,(Japanese), Japanese Shells, Habe,(Japanese), Colored
Illustrations of Japanese Shells, Kira (Japanese), Japanese Shells,
Kosuge,(Japanese). There are more spefic shell names for species in the
family, such as the Pecten Murex(Murex troschelli)= Honegai= Bone shell.
I'm sure that you will find interesting common names from many
cultures. It's the nature of the beast. We all think that shells remind
us of something else. If you ask around on the Conch-L list serv, I'm sure
you'll get some interesting answers. Good luck. Say Hi to Kay Peterson
for us.
Dan & Hiromi Yoshimoto
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Dan & Hiromi Yoshimoto
1164 Vista Dr.
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