Hi, All!
       Here we go again; this time I'm taking a poll.   Several authors place "nobilis" as a subspecies of "Chlamys senatoria (Gmelin, 1791).  Rombouts mentions it as a synonym of "Chlamys crassicostata (Sowerby II,1842).  For now, though, I only want your vote as to whether the typical, beautiful shell that most of us know from Japan, and as "nobilis" is a species or a subspecies - never mind the synonimnity (is there such a
word?)
       I realize that our most knowledgeable Pecten students carry the weight.  But I'd still like to know from those of us who have bought or sold or found a lot of "senatorria"  and "nobilis"
what you think.
       There is even a third possibility; if there are gradients between the two shells from the geographical area between the Philippines and Japan, then "nobilis" would be just a form of "senatoria."   Am I nuts, ypu think; well, I have a number of suspicious shells from Taiwan that look intermediate between the two.  I'll admit, maybe somebady could identify them as a separate species altogether.  When I can get to a COA convention, I'll have them in tow.  ONE BIG DIFFICULTY:  some minor dealers are not always careful with their locality data.  Now, don't you dealers on Conch-L take offence.  You are not "minor" dealers, and I owe my collecting to you, being stuck in the Midwest.
        Thanks ahead of time to anyone who tries to tackle the "nobilis" status.
                        Linda W. B.`