Dear James,
 
if a new species is described on only one specimen it is a holotype.
If the description is based on more specimens, are these paratypes,
but important that they are from the same locality and date. A holotype
should deposited into a museum.
So this Calliostoma is only known from this one specimen, which has
been found at that time on this locality and has been described.
Helmut
 
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> Dear all, I have to admit, this is sort of a dumb question
> for me to ask, as I should know, but I don't. What does the word
> "holotype" mean?
> How can I tell if a shell is holotype? I have heard of another word
> called "paratype" too.
> Like, for example, in the compendium, the description of Calliostoma
> atlantis goes:
>
> Calliostoma atlantis Clench and Aguayo,
> 1940. Off Pinar del Rio, Cuba, in 660 m.
> Known only from this holotype specimen.
>
> Can anybody help?
>
> Let me know,
> Kind Regards James
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> P.S. My copy of the compendium is outdated. How many Calliostoma atlantis
> specimens are there now?
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