I guess "rare" is a matter of perspective.  If you collect by purchasing,
then I guess rare is when you can't find what you want for sale.  If you
trade, I guess rare is when no one has what you are seeking.  If you collect
in the field, rare is when you're lucky to find a species once in 2-3 years.
I don't think rare relates to presence in nature.  Shells living in
difficult to reach locations or protected areas might be plentiful, but just
not available in the market place.  As several people have commented here on
Conch-L, some very common shells are rarely offered by dealers.  For
collectors who rely upon dealers, that makes them rare.

By "rare," most books mean the species is in a habitat difficult (or
unprofitable) to reach (or unknown) and few come to market.  I guess "rare"
would also apply to those endemic species that are over collected to near
extinction or in locations like thermal vents that are virtually
inaccessible.
Marlo
merritt island, fl
Visit my website: Let's Talk Seashells
<http://s14.invisionfree.com/Conchologist_Forum/index.php?s=561483d184897208
19ac86b139d3e075&act=site>

Sent: Monday, October 13, 2008 4:25 PM

Hello
In any shell book, the words rare, common, abundant, etc., should they be
ignored?  A rare shell might be rare until a large colony is found or
several colonies are found then it is common, right?

Jordan Star

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