Nancy,

Your discolored Struthiolaria look like shells undergoing a "fossilization"
process.  You can find similar shells (Busycon) in Florida waters.  Always a
dead shell.  Maybe even buried in anaerobic conditions for a while so that
chemical changes, transfers, whatever could take place.  Then washed ashore
where the process is stopped.  It's a theory anyway and it will be
interesting to hear what others have to say.

Tom Eichhorst (in New Mexico, USA)


----- Original Message -----
From: "Nancy Smith" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2000 10:49 AM
Subject: [CONCH-L] Struthiolaria colors


> If we have a "Question Man" then we must have a "Question Woman" and I
> appoint myself as I have so many of them.  :)
>
> I now have several lovely specimens of Struthiolaria papulosa which is
> found in New Zealand.   Most of these specimens are the "normal" tan color
> with slightly darker striping.   However two, one in particular, are a
dark
> blue-grey with evidence of brownish striping "somewhere under there" but
> are predominantly this dark, odd color.    These two darker specimens were
> taken on a white sand beach (Waihi Beach) and not one of the black sand
> beaches which I understand is from high iron content in the sand...  that
> was my first guess at the reasoning for the color but that isn't the case.
>
> What causes this coloration in the Struthiolaria, anyone know?   NZ and
her
> waters are, to the best of my knowledge, a very ecologically "green" area
> so I really question pollution, chemicals or oil as the cause but I
suppose
> anything's possible.   I am ready to stand corrected by anyone with more
> information!  :)
>
> http://personal.mia.bellsouth.net/mia/n/a/nansaidh/
>
> The link will take you to pictures of the shells in question.   The images
> are good sized, so please be patient for them to load.
>
> Thank you in advance,
> Nancy Smith
>