> Anybody have any ideas why the two species (scripta and
> fulgurator-reticularis) would evolve with divergent growth patterns
> when they occur basically side-by-side in many cases in the same
> ecosystem?
>
> And Maurizio wrote:
>
> I think that it depends on how long time their larvae are pelagic.
>
> If I am not wrong, a species with a long time pelagic larva has the
> possibility to be more variable than other with smaller dispersion
> capacity, and so the differences between 'those local species' would
> be due to the environment, and I suppose to their different genetic
> capacity of being modeled by this. Is this right?.

The protoconchs on Oliva reticularis and Oliva fulgurator are somewhat
large.  Are you guys sure these shells start as free swimming veligers
or do they crawl away when born?

Andrew Dickson
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