Drar David,

The apparent absence of "intertidal" species is due to an exceedingly high
rate of predation by humans.  Along the Spanish Mediterranean coastline,
there are very few unspoiled areas.  However, they do exist, and there you
can appreciate how rich the marine fauna really is.

Your "Steironepion" is likely a member of the buccinid genus Chauvetia.

The discoidal land snails with orange aperture, if keeled, are likely to be
Theba subdentata, a North African species locally introduced in the
desertic Almeria coast.

Best wishes,


Cristian R. Altaba
Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands

-----Mensaje original-----
De:     David Kirsh [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Enviado el:     miércoles 20 de octubre de2004 21:54
Para:   [log in to unmask]
Asunto: From Holy Toledo to Agua Amarga

I'm back from Spain, with a few days of shelling on southeastern beaches.

With so much of the shoreline composed of pebbles or gravel, it seemed that
there were no visible living species intertidally and little to none shell
fragment in places. The best shoreline spot I could find was just south of
the town of Aguilas, where diverse micros mixed with gravel just behind the
rocks in the swash zone.

From a cursory glance, it looks like there's a Steironepion species in the
Mediterranean, with small evenly spaced teeth on the outer lip. Does anyone
know what it might be? More on the micros when I get a chance.

The beach at the airport in Almeria had a number of decent beached shells
despite the strong surf. Discoidal land snails with orange apertures
covered the brush on the path to the beach. What are these?

David Kirsh
Durham, NC

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