Hi Lynn,

I don't think the idea you described (a dwarf specimen having tighter
whorls, but the same number of whorls as a normal specimen) is accurate.
 A dwarf, to the best of my knowledge, does not have a different pattern
of growth from a normal specimen.  Rather, it is a specimen in which
maturity sets in too early, terminating an otherwise normal pattern of
growth.  Therefore, a fully mature dwarf specimen should have the same
number of whorls as a "normal", but immature specimen of the same size.
In an effort to verify this, I measured nine fully mature specimens of
Strombus canarium:  Three "dwarf" specimens, measuring 30-32 mm in
length, each have 6 whorls; three average-size specimens, measuring 58
to 60 mm, each have 7 whorls; and three "giant" specimens, measuring
89-94 mm, each have 8 whorls.  I'd be interested in hearing any other
sets of measurements which either confirm or refute the results of this
admittedly limited experiment.

Regards,
Paul M.