Dear Dr. Hamilton and group,
 
I certainly agree that the (junior) synonymy of Goniobasis with Elimia seems
likely.  The species E. tenera (Hall, 1845) is identified by the donor
institution as the the principal constituent of the "Turritella Rock"
featured on the penultimate generation of Dupont Trophies awarded by the
Delaware Museum of Natural History to certain shell show exhibits.  On the
back of one such plaque is inscribed " a freshwater gastropod that once
lived in a huge tropical lake that covered Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado some
40,000,000 years ago."
 
Harry
 
 
At 08:40 AM 8/20/98 -0500, you wrote:
>I believe that most or all species of Goniobasis are now housed within the
genus Elimia.   These are freshwater mesogastropods with a high spire.  They
are fairly abundant in clean streams in the southeast whose pH is not too
low.  Some info and illustrations on 'Goniobasis' can be found in Guide to
Shells, W.K. Emerson and M.K. Jacobson, 1976, Alfred Knopf Publ.  There this
snail is listed in the Family Pleuroceridae (but see below).
>
>One of my favorite examples of a taxonomic splitter is:
>
>Lea, I., 1862.  Description of a new genus Goniobasis of the Family
Melanidae and eighty-two new species. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 14:262-273.
>
>Hope this helps.
>
>
>Dr. Paul Hamilton
>Professor and Chairperson
>Department of Biology
>University of Central Arkansas
>Conway, AR  72035
>
>TEL: 501/450-5915
>FAX: 501/450-5914
>WWW: http://www2.uca.edu/biology/bio_hp/
Harry G. Lee
mailto:[log in to unmask]
Suite 500, 1801 Barrs Street
Jacksonville, FL  32204
U. S. A.    904-384-6419
Visit the Jacksonville Shell Club Home Page at:
http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/wfrank/jacksonv.htm
 
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