>Dear fellow Conch-lers,
>
>     Thank you very much Andrew for your good information.  Siphonaridae is
>also very common to Philippines but this size first time and I discover the
>area and not much.  Normal size that we have is averaging 30mm.
>
>     Best Regards,
>
>     Tony

I don't personally know of any siphonariid species which normally
grows as large as B. obliquata (though if there is, I wouldn't mind
being told); 30mm is generally a pretty good size for members of the
family. Your beastie may be abnormal, possibly parasitized; I do know
that Cerithium parasitized by cestodes (tapeworms) can have their
gonads destroyed, which messes-up hormone production; these specimens
can live long and grow far larger than normal.
--
Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin, New Zealand
64 (3) 473-8863
<[log in to unmask]>
Fossil preparator
Seashell, Macintosh & VW/Toyota van nut
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I want your sinistral gastropods!
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Opinions in this e-mail are my own, not those of my institution
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