Didn't expect such a quick turn around of answers!  Thanks so much for all
your help!

Just one main thing that I'd like to clear up... are most/all of these
species used primarily as a food source and secondly as curio products?  I
wouldn't think that to be the case with the cowries, but more so with the
larger species, even the Indian Chanks, which from what I've found only get
to 12 cm max?  What about the Triton trumpet?  Is it primarily used as food?
And so far as the medicinal uses, are there any others that are prominent
and wide spread?  Any that generate absurd amounts of income or exploit
absurd amounts of shells?  (The price per ton thing is an excellent example
of this, but who buys by the ton?  Construction material \ production
companies?

Thanks for all the great input so far!
-James



----- Original Message -----
From: <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, April 10, 2000 11:54 PM
Subject: Re: Target species . . . . .


> There are several species that are exported by the ton for shellcraft work
> (no exaggeration - some exporters actually list a per/ton price).  These
> include Cypraea moneta, Cypraea annulus, Cypraea tigris, Cypraea
> caputserpentis, Voluta vespertilio, Trochus niloticus, Turbo argyrostomus,
> Turbo chrysostomus, Murex cichoreus, Pyrene scripta, Strombus luhuanus,
> Strombus canarium, Strombus urceus, Umbonium vestiarium, and perhaps a few
> others.  Hippopus hippopus and Tridacna squamosa were also available by
the
> ton before the ban on Tridacnidae went into effect.  A number of other
> species are also exported in large quantities for shellcraft, though I
don't
> recall seeing them offered by the ton.  These include Haliotis asinina,
> Strombus aurisdianae, Strombus lentiginosus, Lambis lambis, Angaria
> delphinus, Cypraea arabica, Cypraea vitellus, Tectarius coronatus, Pyrene
> ocellata, Natica vitellus, and others.
> Paul M.