Hi Allen, I checked a couple of sources and I think I have an ID for you.
Rick Harbo in "Shells & Shellfish of the Pacific Northwest" [1997] lists
Petalaconchus compactus (Carpenter, 1864) in the family Vermetidae. The
tube is described as 3mm in diameter, but the coiled tube can be 25mm in
length. The habitat is listed as under rocks and the colonies can contain
an estimated 100,000 individuals. They are described as a tangled mass of
individuals. This description doesn't sound quite right for your
description. So I went to another source.
Eugene Kozloff in "Marine Invertebrates of the Pacific Northwest" [2nd ed.
1996] lists the former species and another one which sounds more like what
you describe: Dendropoma lituella (Morch, 1886) which is described as "shell
loosely coiled into a flat spiral, so that the entire shell of some
individuals in the population is distinct; exterior rough, due to
intersection of axial ribs with raised growth lines; distinct aperture to
about 4mm". This sounds more like what you have.
Kozloff lists a reference for the Vermetidae: Keen, A.M. 1961. A proposed
reclassification of the gastropod family Vermetidae. Bull. British Mus.
Nat. Hist. (Zool.),7:183-214.
I hope that helps. Bert Bartleson in Olympia, WA
-----Original Message-----
From: Conchologists List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Allen Aigen
Sent: Sunday, June 05, 2005 2:00 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: ?Spiroglyphus sp. identity needed
Dear Conch-L experts,
I have small (4mm coiled diameter; aperture ~1mm) worm shells attached to
Chlamys hastata from about 67 feet off the San Juan Islands, Washington.
They are dull white, annulated with coarse, close set ribs, and have
white, round opercula. They are tightly coiled, with the last whorl
often elevated above the shell it is attached to. Any ideas as to
identity?
I have troubles with using Abbott for this group. He seems to never be
quite in agreement with my shells...
Allen Aigen NYC
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