Dear Andrew G. and Sinistralia aficiandos,

Eureka; it pays to advertise.  Andrew, I have a shell, 30 mm., 12-13 ribs,
slightly worn, slightly broken, which otherwise fits the description you
have limned.  ("Somalia;" ex Al and Bev Deynzer 8/10/96; fair price, but
less than yours). Interested parties may request a scanned image (jpg
attachment to email).  Now we're cybercooking.

I have never been able to figure out why Smythe and Chatfield (1984) didn't
concede the F. gallagheri - F. taylorianus (sinistral syntype)
conspecificity that Andrew G. and I sensed.

Harry


At 10:16 AM 11/15/99 +1300, you wrote:
>Sinistrella was indeed a lapse of brain, being an extinct "turrid".
>
>I have found Smythe & Chatfield 1981 and 1984.
>
>It seems quite obvious that "S." elegans is not consubgeneric with the
others.
>
>The sinistral "syntype" of Fusus taylorianus Reeve 1848, as S&C (1984) say,
>is not conspecific with the dextral syntype. It appears to me to be a
>specimen of S. gallagheri. It has lost the canal lip, giving a deceptively
>rounded appearance to the aperture. It is slightly more tightly-coiled than
>normal ie translating more rapidly along the coiling axis, thus producing a
>slightly higher spire with suture further down the previous whorl-flank.
>
>I have a specimen of a species which I cannot identify, even with
>descriptions and photos of all of the named species in front of me. Perhaps
>Harry is familiar with it; it is similar to S. barclayi, but differing in
>these respects: canal longer, less-strongly twisted, fasciole much weaker;
>spiral sculpture considerably finer, especially on base and canal, with
>much wider primary interspaces; lack of strong peripheral nodes. Missing
>early whorls, but estimate appx 25mm complete. Outline much as in S.
>barclayi, but with somewhat finer spiral cords: primaries 3 on shoulder
>(not including primary-sized double sutural cord), one at periphery, 4
>below, one defining bottom of base, 4 finer on canal. Lower interspaces on
>shoulder have secondary and tertiary cords. Below periphery secondary and
>multiple tertiary cords present, up to 2 tertiaries between a primary and
>secondary. Gap between lowest basal and uppermost canal primary larger than
>others, containing 1 high-placed secondary; 2 tertiaries above, 3
>tertiaries and 1 quaternary below. Fasciole with 5 equal-sized very
>wide-spaced cords equal in size to secondaries. Primaries at and below
>periphery largest. All cords rendered gemmate by growthlines. Collabral
>sculpture of 10 slightly prosocyrt ribs extending from just below sture to
>lower base, fading in both directions but with slight hints remaining to
>suture and onto canal. Rib profile rounded-subtriangular. aperturepyriform,
>oblique, narrowing at anterior; canal slightly shorter than aperture,
>twisted slightly to right.Columella thickened by callus; no denticles
>present. Labrum broken. Parietal plait present. Growthlines delineate broad
>sinus centered at periphery. Color: orange-brown, darkest on spire and
>ribs, slightly lighter on canal; rib-interspaces pale straw; primary cords
>on shoulder and base paler still, not quite white. Aperture white.
>Localization "Somalia". Supplier: House of 10000 Shells, Cairns, QLD,
>Australia 1996, $8.75AUS.
>
>Andrew G
>