Hello Harry

Part I  >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 a) The study project of the Brazosport Museum of Natural Science is in a state
of flux since the passing of Roe Davenport. There is a new person assigned to
coordinate it but I do not remember whom, ... it is perhaps Janey Nill ?
The generic rules of the recording for the project is:
        1) Specimen Must be Collected from Texas waters (not offshore)
        2) Must be live or fresh dead, no empty or crabbed specimens.
The project records the Largest submitted specimen with that criteria.  The
specimens are typically housed in the museum.
 b) This is the only known record for: N. versicolor in Texas, it is from the
jetties at S. Padre Island.  None have been recorded before or since.
 c) I have found N. fulgurans frequently at the Port Aransas Jetty under the
rocks at the groin in front of UTMSI.  Also on the Port Mansfield and South
Padre Island Jetties, plus at the Coast Guard Station rock pile.
 d) I will check my Mexican shell books for any Nerita records.

Part II  >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
        In the last 10 years Texas has had an influx of "Caribbean" faunal
species showing up in South Texas waters.  This is due to a increase in man-
made hard substrates that allow their velagers to find a home.  Also adding to
that, we have been on the warm side of the 22 year solar cycle making it more
favorable for them during this time, ... and finally the infestation of Perna
perna that came and went in the 90's changed the dynamics of the micro-faunas
found in those hard substrates, leaving opportunity for the addition of new
species when the P. perna populations retreated.

Part III >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
For those of you who are not familiar with Texas localities ----
--- South Texas Localities: (26.07° N)
> Port Mansfield, South Padre Island, Boca Chica, Clark Island, Port Isabel,
Laguna Madre (lower), Rio Grande, Brazos Santiago Pass.
> This Latitude is about the same as the: (26.06° N) Port Laudania, Dania cut-
off Canal (Hollywood/Ft. Lauderdale, FL).
 ... the infamous rock pile at the S. Padre Coast Guard Station is small but is
host to at least 25 species of Mollusca including at 3 Nudibranchs, 2 Sea
Hares, plus 5 Echinoderms,  sponges, anemones, soft corals, encrusting corals,
along with numerous crustations and fishes.
-- Central Texas Localities: (north to south  28.00° N to 27.00° N)
 > In bays: Port Lavaca, Rockport, Port O'Conner, Aransas Pass, Brown Harbor,
Indian Point, Ingleside, Portland, Corpus Christi, Flower Bluff, Laguna Madre
(upper).
 > Beach/Island: St. Joseph Island, Port Aransas, Mustang Island, Padre Island.
  (trivia: Port Aransas is where the pass is, & Aransas Pass is the port)

Part IV   >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Collecting in Texas & at South Padre Island ...
  a) Live collecting of marine life is closed on South Padre Island from the
end of the jetties, around past the Coast Guard Station, north to about 1/2
mile past the Causeway, out to 1000 yards offshore from the mean tide line,
from Nov 1 to April 30 every year. Includes urchins, etc.
  b) Additionally all year, all locations, there is a bag limit of 2 specimens
per day of, Whelks, Strombus, Tulips and Murex.  Total bag limit of 22
specimens per day.  A salt-water fishing license is required.  Crabbed is
considered live since it contains a living animal.
  c) The collection of dead specimens does not require a license, and is not
restricted.
  d) New regulations highly restricting the collection of Freshwater Mussels
(including banning by location) went in to effect in 2006.  Where you can still
collect, a Freshwater Fishing license is required.  There are bag and size
limits as well.

Part V  >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
There is a new Texas Shell book due out shortly.
  The book is being produced by:
        Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies
        Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
        By: Fabio Moretzsohn, Noe Barrera, et. al.
            http://www.harteresearchinstitute.org/

..  Fabio may be able to help with additional data on Texas Nerites.

Leslie
:)

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