James,
 
A shallow water slit shell (if it existed) might actually be the rarest.
Easiest to get but rare.  Shallow water environments are much more subject
to change which some believe "pushes" evolution and speciation.  These
evolutionary pressures would seriously effect a slit shell.  Ever changing
competition, environmental changes, a varied predator list -- all of these
make for a tough place.  The shallow water slit shell you propose may then
only be left in isolated pockets.  On the other hand, since it is truly a
deep water shell it may never have pushed into that tougher shallow water
environment.  I think you will wait in vain to find a member of the
Pleurotomaria family in shallow waters.  But it is an interesting
hypothetical topic.
 
Tom Eichhorst in New Mexico, USA
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: James M Cheshire <[log in to unmask]>
 
Subject: [CONCH-L] Shallow pleuro
 
 
>Dear all, does anyone think that there might be a shallow water
>pleurotomaria somewhere on earth, or is it not possible because of
>more advanced competing species? Well, in my opinion, I believe that it
>would easily become the most common species, but I'm not sure.