> >Dear all:
> >   Just a random question, but do any members of Gastropoda (or any other
> >mollusks for that matter) display either Mullerian or Batesian mimicry? I
> >can't seem to think of any examples and it is driving me up the wall. Also are
> >there any members of all classes of Mollusca that display Convergent
> >evolution, Adaptive radiation, Co-evolution, or Character displacement?  I
> >can't seem to think of mollusks but I sure can think of insects
> >Thanks
> >Sarah Watson
>
 
Sarah,
 
I don't know if it really qualifies but one the the most interesting examples of
mimicry is the fish shaped egg case of some fresh water mussels.  These guys send
out a "fishing line" with a bit of 'bait' on the end that is an egg case but looks
like a small minnow.  When ingested, I think the young attach to the fishes gills.
Not a bad way to disperse a species that lacks taxis, trains and legs!!
 
As for convergent evolution, I sure there are examples out there.  One problem
maybe species who are widely separated but rather than convergent were really one
species before say, the Panama isthmus closed up.  I have always thought the Conus
cedonulli complex left a relative on the other side of the land bridge by the name
of Conus brunneus.  Similarly I have a Murex (Ceratostoma) foliatus from California
that looks an awful lot like my Murex (Ceratostoma) burnetti from Korea.  Looks
convert but is probably a split.
 
I think we need an expert to wade in on this one.
 
Tom Eichhorst in New Mexico, USA