I think the shells you have seen also reflect  memory or curatorial
errors. I haven't seen any down there recently, or ever...or further
west in the Gulf.... just Perna viridis as far as introduced/vagrant
species go, and only  the expected local (sinistral) Busycons.

 Years ago I found a barrel full of B. carica eliceans at the gem/rock
shop at Sunset Beach in Cape May NJ, they told me they were local
(maybe they were unloaded locally , but I don't think they  came from
there). All eliceans and carica I have found or seen conformed to the
ranges you noted, except  I recently got an eliceans 2nd hand from a
friend who got it from the original collectors widow, data was Topsail
Beach, NC, she stood by that location- which is a bit further north
than the stated range-  and I have my doubts about the stated
locality, but at least its not too far off.

As you note, there is lots of mangled data and such in the offerings
on the internet, particularly from foreign dealers who aren't
knowledgable about the Florida  species or their ranges to pick up on
the ID or data issues they inherit 2nd or 3rd hand when they acquire
shells/collections indirectly.



On 7/1/15, John Timmerman <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> According to reference books ("American Seashells II" records Cape
> Canaveral) Busycon carica and its associated variants are found living no
> further south than East Florida.
>
>
>
> I repeatedly see examples of the species attributed to West Florida,
> especially in the Sanibel Island area. For the occasional Internet auction
> being offered by someone who has inherited a relative's shells or collected
> them decades ago  I easily write it off to incorrect memory but to keep
> seeing this species time and again attribute to West Florida in collections
> I have seen in person makes me question.
>
>
>
> Has the species extended the range naturally and/or been introduced to West
> Florida?
>
>
>
> John Timmerman
>
> NC
>
>
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