Hello Conch-L,
 
Gemmula congener is an attractive, beaded, white, deep water Turrid
from the Philippines.  Often, the lip is fairly simple and smooth, as
in other Gemmula species, but just as often its edge is convoluted
into strange-looking frills and folds - kind of bizarre for a turrid,
but also rather beautiful in its own way.  Question:  I have heard
(somewhere?) that this is due to infection of the mollusc by a virus.
 If so, it is a very common virus, as up to 50% of specimens seem to
be "infected", and I have received some shipments where 100% showed
this phenomenon.  Also, while these frills are often present on the
current lip margin, there is never any evidence that such frills have
affected the prior shell growth.  Does this "virus" arrest growth as
well as deform the lip?  I have seen this on the lip of specimens
only 50 mm in length, and on specimens 80 mm in length.  Also, I have
never seen a specimen of any other species showing this.  Does anyone
have any information on this?  Is it a virus?  Or simply a genetic
variation?
 
Regards,
Paul Monfils