> Dear Andrew,
>
> I believe you already made your statement once before, and my opinion
> hasn't change either: of course dealers use many wrong names for the
> Angaria's, but saying there is only one species is in my opinion
> completely wrong (when someone can proove by molecular data, I will of
> course agree). But as already demonstrated in the Turbinidae it is most
> probably the opposite: when using molecular data from Astralium rhodostoma
> (Paulay & Meyer) it demonstrated this is in fact a complex of species. So
> when using molecular data on Angaria's it maybe can proove that distinct
> populations of what we now think are the same species are in fact all
> different species... (hoping someone can solve this in the near future...)
>
> The colour problem is much easier to solve: Angaria sphaerula lives
> relatively deep, so the older pictures are of specimens in very bad
> condition (the type is the worst specimen of sphaerula I have ever seen),
> and consequently their colour has disappeared. But now Pi shellers can go
> deeper and find the sphaerula's alive, so with nice colours. Same story
> with rarity: why sphaerula and other species (like the famous Epitonium
> scalare) were so rare, and now they are found with dozens.
>
> best regards,
>
> Kevin
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Andrew Grebneff" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2008 9:06 AM
> Subject: [CONCH-L] Angaria "species" and strange colors
>
>
> Having been watching Angaria in dealers' sites and in auctions, it
> becomes apparent that all specimens are merely part of a wide range
> of  morphology and color. The so-called "species" are merely grades,
> not clades. Therefore there is but one species, A. delphinus (Linne
> 1758). Other names should not be used except as a convenience, but
> should be labelled, for instance: A. delphinus  (Linne 1758)
> "sphaerula".
>
> Does anyone know whether any expert has attempted cladistic or
> molecular work on the genus? He'd need a huge sample of specimens to
> cover the full range.
>
> The colors exhibited by many specimens (bright pinks, magenta, lurid
> greens) are very odd, and a few are showing in other turbinids eg
> magentas in "Astralium" spp. Older pictures of Angaria "sphaerula" do
> not seem to  show such colors, and I have wondered whether they are a
> very recent innovation by the snails. If this is the case, could the
> colors be due to the animals extracting some elements from seawater
> which have been introduced to the ecosystem by human-generated eg
> manufacturing pollution?
> --
> Andrew Grebneff
> Dunedin
> New Zealand
> Fossil preparator
> Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut
> , Opinions stated are mine, not those of Otago University
> "There is water at the bottom of the ocean"  - Talking Heads
>
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