Dear David,

Your posting raises more questions than answers in my mind.  I am surprise
no one else has responded.

First, you are lucky in being able to go to Fiji and collect shells.  I am
green with envy. :-)

In the literature, Conus marmoreus is said to have an operculum.  Many
specimens in my collection and others I have seen have an operculum mounted
in the aperture, so I think it is reasonable to think that C. marmoreus
normally has an operculum.

How carefully were you able to examine the animal of the Conus marmoreus
without its operculum?  Were you able to find the exact point of attachment
and observe its condition?  Was the point of attachment ragged or smooth?
If it was ragged, a preditor could have separated the operculum from the
animal.  If it was smooth, the individual could have been without the
operculm naturally, perhaps through genetic mutation, or it could have been
lost due to disease.

I recall reading a paper (perhaps in Hawaiian Shell News) about difficulties
in finding the operculum of some species during the cleaning process.  My
memory is not good enough, though, to provide the specific citation.
Perhaps someone else has more info?

Sorry this is not an authoritative answer,

Bill Fenzan

Norfolk, Virgina, USA


----- Original Message -----
From: "Sandra Herman" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 15, 2010 8:04 PM
Subject: [CONCH-L] Conus Marmoreus


>I recently returned from Naigani Island in Fiji.  Among the shells I
>collected were two live conus marmoreus.  One had an operculum and one did
>not.  Is this unusual?  Incidently, there were no problems bringing the
>shells back to the US.  There were no issues in either Fiji or LA.
>
> Sincerely,
> David Herman
>
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