Hi Art,

I think no one's answered this one because nobody has a clue! My mind was
boggled too, but having had time to sleep on it -- about two dozen times --
I would guess that the answer is some species of pteropod -- pelagic
gastropods whose shells cover many square kilometers of the deepsea floor.

To answer a previous "Question Man" question, the moth with the cross-shaped
pattern on its back may be Hapola clymene. The cross only shows as such with
the wings tucked together, but in photos made from museum collections, the
wings are generally spread out. I didn't realize how unnatural this looks
till I started photographing live butterflies. (For butterfly photography,
see http://www.images.on.ca/Focus/focuson2.htm

Cheers,
Andrew K. Rindsberg
Geological Survey of Alabama

-----Original Message-----
From: Conchologists List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
[log in to unmask]
Sent: Saturday, February 12, 2005 2:28 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Most


Your devoted Question Man has read that the most numerous of fish in the
oceans is a critter called the "Cyclothon". It's not very big, but there's
more of 'em than any other kind.
   OK! So the question is:---what shell is most numerous? Yer gonna ask: you
mean species, family, what? Either, any. As the doctor said: "Suture
yerself." I suspect we'll be dealing with some little bivalve. But what do I
know! Have fun. Look up Cyclot hon on the web
   Your beloved,
        Q-Man

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