Dear Nora,
There isn't an inclusive picture book on the abalones, but:
Geiger, D. L. 1998. Recent genera and species of the family Haliotidae
Rafinesque, 1815 (Gastropoda: Vetigastropoda). Nautilus 111(3): 85-116. May
26. provides a list of all Recent generic and trivial names (with valid taxa
in boldface) along with detailed discussions of taxonomic vagaries,
geographical indices by species, B & W photographs of infrequently
illustrated taxa, and a fine bibliography. If you don't receive this
benchmark journal, consider doing so. I have been a Nautilus subscriber
since 1955 and consider it essential to my collecting enterprise. Contact
Jose Leal for further info <[log in to unmask]>.
A fine treatment on the Mytilidae is:
Soot-Ryen, T. 1955. A report on the family Mytilidae (Pelecypoda). Allan
Hancock Expeditions 20(1): 1-174 + 10 pls. incl. 18 text fig's. Nov. 10.
This work treats all west American mytilids and gives a key for all Recent
genera.
Harry
At 09:56 AM 3/27/99 -0700, you wrote:
>Thanks to those who helped me with my shell ID. No ideas on my mussels
>though. Can anyone tell me of a good book for worldwide mussels (Mytilidae)
>and one on Abalones?
>Nora Bryan
>Calgary, Alberta
>CANADA
>
>NORA BRYAN wrote:
>
>> I have a couple of shells in my collection that I just cannot ID.
>> Perhaps some of you could point me in a possible direction (when I have
>> finally obtained all the shell books I will need I won't be bugging you
>> all with this basic stuff):
>>
>> 1. This one is large (about 4" long) and looks like a member of the
>> Melongenidae - it looks most like a picture of Volema tuba in the
>> Eisenberg book. The outer surface is fairly smooth and cream colour
>> with some pale brownish colouration as well. The interior is pink. Is
>> there any other shell this could be besides V. tuba? I don't know it's
>> provenance.
>> 2. I have two others that look very similar to the above, only they are
>> smaller, maybe 2", paler and they may have come from Florida (in a box
>> of unidentified shells).
>> 3. A bivalve that looks like it belongs in Mytilidae - it is about 2"
>> long and has a fairly typical shape (like M. edulis) but it has a pale
>> golden periostracum over a white shell. There is very little
>> irridescence on the inside It is fairly thin. Again, I don't know where
>> it is from.
>> Maybe some more serious collectors wonder why I bother with shells of
>> unknown provenanace, but my collection is still small, and I hate to
>> discard nice-looking shells. I'd rather face the challenge of trying to
>> figure them out. Maybe over time they can be replaced with others that
>> have more complete labelling.
>> Thanks in advance for any leads you might pass on.
>> Nora Bryan
>> Calgary, Alberta
>> CANADA
>
Harry G. Lee
mailto: [log in to unmask]
Suite 500, 1801 Barrs Street
Jacksonville, FL 32204
U. S. A. 904-384-6419
Visit the Jacksonville Shell Club Home Page at:
http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/wfrank/jacksonv.htm
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