GOOOOD morning Martin,
 
Thanks for your message.
 
It's a good guess. On the other hand I didn't notice any raw sewage dump
close to it. The water is very clean, doesn't smell bad, but the rocks I
dove are quite close to the beach and may be some houses dump their sewage
directly into the sea. This explanation probably can be the same for the
Astraea specimen collected in Islas del Rosario, Cartagena, Colombia. 
 
Does anyone noticed other very reeky shells? Muricidae and Patellidae
doesn't seem to be so bad smelling as Astraeas and Tegulas. Is it a
characteristic of their family?
 
Stinking cheers,
 
Eduardo
 
 
        ----------
        De:  Martin S. Kohl [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
        Enviada em:  Terça-feira, 5 de Janeiro de 1999 19:57
        Para:  [log in to unmask]
        Assunto:  [CONCH-L] Stinking Astraeas
 
        Possible explanation; is there a sewage outfall nearby?
 
        In Panama I noticed that molluscs living in a bay near a source of
raw sewage
        (the creek there is a running sewer) smelled bad, while those away
from such
        influences did not.  I have noticed a similar effect in freshwater
creatures,
        in those few species able to tolerate more polluted waters.
 
        Martin.