At 05:11 PM 7/9/99 PDT, you wrote:
>Dear Kurt and others
>
>Actually in Germany Dr. Hartmut Nordsieck from Villingen-Schwenningen
(Baden-Württemberg) is the only real worldwide specialist of the Fam.
Clausiliidae and he has a lot of work with it. He just worked on the
European families and his works were printed in Senckenberg Frankfurt.
>A famous type collection of Chinese Clausiliidae is located in the
>Gredler collection at the Franziskanergymnasium Bolzano (Alto Adige)
>revised by Zilch, formerly curator of the shellcollection of the
>Senckenberg Museum in Frankfurt.
>More on Clausiliidae I can report later maybe versus september.
>with best shelling greetings
>Helmut from Innsbruck
>
>
>Helmut Nisters
>Franz-Fischer-Str. 46
>A-6020 Innsbruck / Austria / Europe
>phone and fax: 0043 / 512 / 57 32 14
>e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>url: www.netwing.at/nisters/
>
>or
>
>Natural History Department of the
>Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum Innsbruck
>malacological collection
>Feldstr. 11a
>A-6020 Innsbruck / Austria / Europe
>phone: 0043 / 512 / 58 72 86-37
>
>----------
>Just as an addition to the message below.  As stated, the clausilium is not
>homologous to an operculum.  However, it acts in much the same way.  It
>consists of a plate (the "pseudo-operculum") with a spiraled pedicle which
>extends upward and is embedded in and attached to the soft tissue of the
>animal.  When the animal retracts, the clausilium is pulled backward and it
>closes off the interior of the shell much like an operculum.  Many species
>have a lunella about 3/4 whorl back. This is a series (sometimes just one)
>of 'tooth-like' lamellae on the inside of the shell.  These lamellae lock
>the clausilium plate in place.  Very effective.
>
>I can't remember the earliest known record, but the group was well
>diversified by the Miocene throughout much of Eurasia.  There are basically
>two main groups, although they are split up further.  The Nenininae (check
>spelling) occurs in south, east, and southeast Asia and South America.
>There are a few outliers in the Greater Antilles and elsewhere.  The
>Clausilinae (again check spelling) occurs from Central Asia westward
>through Europe.  This is a HUGE group.
>
>I've heard that two European researchers are putting together a catalog of
>the Clausiliidae of the world.  A welcome contribution hopefully out in the
>next year or two.
>
>OK, enough fun.  Got to work.  Kurt
>
>
>At 08:12 AM 7/9/99 -0400, you wrote:
>>>2. Why is the operculum of the Door snail (Land) called the
>>>Clausilium?
>>
>>In Latin claustrum means door, or barrier. Incidentally, a clausilium is not
>>exactly an operculum, since the snail does not carry it on its foot.
>>Clausilium is a part of the shell.
>>
>>A.
>>
>