Dick and Karlynn,

I know that there are Cassis madagascariensis in the offshore waters. But I suspect the examples I'm coming across are eroding out of the dunes. I just saw a fragment comprised of the entire ventrum exposed in the surface of the dune facing Cape Lookout on Shackelford Island. Wish I'd brought a camera. That said, I wouldn't be totally shocked if someone does pull a live Cassis out of shallow waters some day.

That's really interesting about horse conchs in the vicinity of Harkers. I'd stopped years ago near one of the approach bridges between Beaufort and Harkers and found Neosimnia uniplicata and seafan in the drift and trash. These seem really exotic to me for temperate climate (not the trash).

I know Mark Johnson has found some surprisingly Caribbean species in 80-100 feet off NC, even Conus mus.

David Kirsh



The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' (I found it!) but 'That's funny ...'

Isaac Asimov (1920 - 1992)

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