Dear Bob, Betty, et al.,

There is more confusion in the literature.  For some reason Cymatium
aquatile was not treated directly by Tucker (Abbott, R. T., 1974.  American
seashells. Second edition. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York, pp. 1-663
incl. numerous text figs. + 24 pls.).  He illustrated it (pl. 7, fig. 1760)
as C. nicobaricum (Röding, 1798), a misidentification.  His discussion of
C. nicobaricum is correct, but when he refers to C. n. in the discussion of
C. pileare (second paragraph), he is describing C. aquatile.  He mitakenly
(I think) synonymized C. martinianum with C. pileare, the description and
illustration of which pertain to the former taxon.

As if this isn't enough, De Jong and Coomans, 1988 (Marine gastropods from
Curaçao, Aruba and Bonaire. E. J. Brill, Leiden, v + pp 1-261 incl. 47
pls.) accurately point out salients distinguishing C. martinianum and C.
aquatile but misidentified them as C. pileare and C. martinianum
respectively.

Your observation is a valuable one and appears to be on the mark, but I am
inclined to call the three species C. nicobaricum, C. aquatile, and C.
martinianum.

Harry


At 10:19 PM 9/25/99 -0400, you wrote:
>Harry, I think you are right on tract.  When I was in South Bimini many
>years ago, I collected martinianum, pileare and nicobaricum.  I had set
>up my aquarium just like I have for all of my trips.  I placed all three
>species up on their protoconchs in the gravel and as the animals emerged
>I took slides of them.  The color of the animals were very different.
>The martinianum animal is red with darker red spots.  Pileare is brown
>with darker brown spots.   I have seen many of martinianum and pileare
>shells from the Pacific and the Caribbean and both species can always be
>separated.  When I was in the Smithsonian years ago they had them all
>together under one name.
>
>Bob Lipe
>
>
>Harry G. Lee wrote:
>>
>> Since we have this species, as well as C. aquatile, in Jacksonville waters,
>> we have taken an interest in its taxonomy and nomenclature.
>>
> "This species, quite distinct
>> from Cymatium pileare [Linnaeus] by its reddish aperture and not marked
>> with alternating black and white blotches..."  Which is to say, C. pileare
>> has a red aperture and lacks the black blotches between the white parietal
>> teeth seen in the orange-mouthed C. maritinianum. Furthermore, C. m. is
>> stockier (less elongate aperture, shorter siphonal canal, relatively
>> broader outline).  In my experience, W. Atlantic shells are identical to
>> those collected in the E. Atlantic, but all Atlantic shells can easily be
>> distinguished from Indo-Pacific specimens.  I think d'Orbigny had it right;
>> two separate species.
>>
>
>> Harry
>>
>
Harry G. Lee
Suite 500
1801 Barrs St.
Jacksonville, Fl. 32204
USA   904-384-6419
<[log in to unmask]>
Visit the Jacksonville Shell Club Home Page at:
http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/wfrank/jacksonv.htm

oo  .--.  oo  .--.  oo  .--.
 \\(____)_ \\(____)_ \\(____)_
  `~~~~~~~` `~~~~~~~` `~~~~~~~`