"How do you tell a latiaxis from a murex..?"

Yes, I can look at both and say "this one's a
murex and this one's a latiaxis" but when asked
exactly why...Hmmm. Vaguely, I guess it has something
to do with the look of the varicies. It's one
of those things that one just "knows" with
experience.
I remember my biggest problem when I was starting
out was the Cypraea arabica complex species.
Looking in the books and reading the descriptions just
isn't the same as comparing lots of each species.
C. arabica, eglantina, grayana, histrio, maculifera...
Uuugg! It used to be a nightmare to understand.
I could NEVER tell an arabica from an eglantina,
but now after seeing lots of them I know immediately
and don't even remember when I finally started to.
The key is in familiarity, constant contact...and time.

Peter Egerton, Vancouver, Canada.

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Peter Egerton, Vancouver, Canada
Collector of worldwide Mollusca
http://www.intergate.bc.ca/personal/seashell/index.html
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