It's truly amazing how fast we are revising the Naticidae via the Internet.
For those who might be confused about Neverita, I should state that it has
not replaced the name Polinices, but that some species formerly placed in
Polinices are now placed in Neverita. True Polinices are very shiny species
like Polinices mammilla (Indo-Pacific) and P. lacteus (Western Atlantic).
I should have been aware of Neverita delessertiana (Recluz), because I have
it listed in my Western Atlantic database. But when I answered the question,
I grabbed a paper version of the database printed out last year, before
Kabat et al. (1997) identified Recluz's species.
I've now looked at Recluz's illustrations and I agree with Michael Hollman
that figure 6 shows the form in question, matching Neverita fossata (Gould).
Figure 5 is not this form, and probably is typical N. duplicata as Mr.
Hollman indicated. Kabat et al. (1997) found four possible syntypes of this
species in the natural history museum in Geneva, and stated that two are
probably the figured specimens. The other two specimens are the ones that
have data from Louisiana. A lectotype designation is necessary before it is
possible to state whether Neverita delessertiana is a synonym of Neverita
duplicata, or an older name from Neverita fossata and Neverita texasiana.
Mr. Hollman feels that all these names are synonymous, but I do not agree.
In Florida, there are no intergrades between the forms with and without the
channeled umbilicus in more than one hundred specimens I have examined. Some
specimens from the Carolinas have a trace of the channeling, but it is not
nearly as strong as in specimens from Florida.
I offered to Phil Poland, Harry Lee and Bill Frank (the co-conspirators who
initially raised the issue) to do DNA studies on the sympatric forms to see
if they are genetically different, if they could raise $500.00 to cover
laboratory expenses. Harry Lee has already gotten the Jacksonville shell
club to commit $250! Stay tuned.
(By the way, the Recluz illustrations are actually in volume 1 of Chenu,
according to Sherborn, although they are in volume 3 in our set and
apparently in volume 4 in the set Mr. Hollman consulted; the sets must have
been bound differently.)
Gary
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Gary Rosenberg, Ph.D. [log in to unmask]
Malacology & Invertebrate Paleontology gopher://erato.acnatsci.org
Academy of Natural Sciences http://www.acnatsci.org
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