Dear Cloud
Your species sounds like a member of the family Teredinidae or Teredo Worms.
These are actually a bivalve.
The shell is at the end of the tube (?the indentation) and the animal makes
a long tube through the wood.
Unfortunately I am not familiar with the Caribbean species.
Regards
Geoff


>From: Cloud Zhang <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Conchologists of America List <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Vita Marina
>Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2001 19:56:39 -1200
>
>Dear Lynn and Conch-ler:
>I'm sorry for the Vita Marina, but I'm an American Conchologist's
>new reader, when I browse through the Vol. 28, I find it's a good
>publication. I agree your "One can't cuddle up for a good read
>with a computer screen. Nor can one take it to the breakfast table with
>a good cup." Also I thinking a Publication the material is more important
>for it's long life, and the interesting illustration will be attract the
>subscriber
>always like to see it, or want to hold it, so it can still and in the
>strong live.
>I like doing something for the American Conchologist, if I can. I was got
>some images with my Digital camera, they are maybe ordinary, are for I
>build a webpage, but before put them on, I like to ask if you interest some
>for the publication? One I more interest, a specimen find it at just passed
>the Christmas day. A "Dragon shell" (not Worm shell!) I say so because
>it's so big, I have no see or hear before (or maybe I need more experience)
>anyway it's not so often can see it. At the location it was about 280mm in
>length, 12mm and 3.7mm in diameter at two ends, shell pure white, thin,
>hard and very fragile. It was stick on a piece long wood under side, that
>wood hard like ston, it's float on shallow water at a small and quiet cove,
>after turnover the wood then I saw it, the body about 11", the head deep
>down into the wood's center. I had do my best job try to taking it out but
>it still break, only obtain two  big pieces one is tail 110mm; other one is
>part
>of body 135mm and some  small pieces. The end of the tail is open and a
>small notch at front,  much  thick and strong more than body shell. The
>soft part was full length with the shell. I'd took some live images but
>only
>select three, two before work:side with  a hammer, and one is after shell
>break show inside soft part, and of course some home works.
>So, if you interest please let me know, and I need somebody  tell me
>what's this species name. Any advice are grateful.
>
>Best wishes, and good luck for all in the new year!
>
>Deng Y. Zhang
>P. O. Box 3092
>St. John's Antigua
>West Indiea
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Lynn Scheu <[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2000 7:42 AM
>Subject: Re: Vita Marina
>
>
> > Dear Gijs and Conch-L all,
> >
> > Pardon the length of this. I have a lot to cover.
> >
> > It must be repeated that the Vita Marina publication is going to be a
> > serious loss to shell collectors everywhere.  Gijs, don't think we are
> > not desolate! It's only that this comes at a very busy time...lots of us
> > are away, distracted, or otherwise "not all here." I just now noticed,
> > catching up on things, and am so very saddened! I hope, as do all of us
> > familiar with this fine publication, that something can be done to save
> > it. But I also, like Gijs, don't see how it can live on without the
> > support and the input of many more interested shellers. Some of the
> > realities associated with paper publishing need to be better understood
> > by subscribers.
> >
> > As longtime editor of American Conchologist, I can tell you quickly that
> > the financial realities are pretty staggering! I do not know how Vita
> > Marina has made a go of it so far!  Without the membership dues of COA
> > members worldwide, our publishing venture would not work. Our total
> > publishing costs are nearly $7000 per issue and then one must add about
> > $1500 in mailing fees and associated costs. Multiply that sum by 4
> > issues and divide by the number of members COA has (somewhere around
> > 1300) and you can see that membership dues don't cover the costs. Even
> > the advertising doesn't quite bring the income up to the expenses. But
> > COA has the luxury of being a membership organization that offers other
> > incentives, and also, we are tax exempt as of 1999.
> >
> > This sum does not include the contributions of time and money from our
> > dedicated volunteers. Contributors bear the cost of their own photos and
> > slides, postage, etc. Ross Gundersen and Jim Miller have contributed
> > immense amounts of their time and talent. Assistant editor Charlotte
> > Lloyd gives unfailingly generously of her time. Kevan Sunderland has for
> > many years contributed the centerfold photos and associated costs. The
> > Coltros continue to contribute interesting columns and lovely photos of
> > shells and collecting localities in South America. Paul Monfils, Tom
> > Eichhorst, Kurt Auffenberg and others contribute regular columns and
> > more. And who can forget Gary Rosenberg and his fine Conchatenations
> > column? Or "Henry A. Martens" and his superb landshell collecting
> > expeditions? Or the work Rich Goldberg did for many years?  And then
> > there are Bret Raines and "Tall One" Betty Jean Piech who raised money
> > at auction for a scanner for our use. And Lori Schroeder (preceded by
> > Bobbie Houchin, Howard Roux, Glen Deuel and Walter Sage in their time)
> > does a quality job managing advertising. Our Editorial Board (Harry Lee,
> > Jose Leal, Emilio Garcia, Emily Vokes, Tom Watters, Don Dan, Gary
> > Rosenberg and Don Shasky) are always there for us. And, lastly, the
> > editor works long hours at the expense of sleep and family relations.
> > These names are just the tip of the iceberg on which our publication
> > floats! Many names should be mentioned here! This is a great time to say
> > thanks, here at the end of the year and the Millennium. Thanks to all.
> > But that's not my (primary) purpose at this time.
> >
> > My intent in the above listing is to say that without massive support it
> > wouldn't go.  And that is my true purpose here. Vita Marina is also
> > amply and very capably staffed. But paper publication of periodicals for
> > shell collectors is increasingly difficult to fund. Even with all the
> > desktop publishing aids, and the computer preparation of photos, the
> > printing companies keep escalating their costs (to keep their earnings
> > up, I sometimes think). In spite of the increasing interest in shell
> > collecting because of increasing ease of travel, wider publicity of the
> > hobby online and increasing disposable income, obtaining quality
> > material for publication is difficult.
> >
> > Also, web publishing is undoubtedly hurting the paper publishing effort
> > as much as it is helping. Note that the first thought Helmut expressed
> > after his regrets at the loss of Vita Marina was his concern that the
> > website continue. We tend to think of the web as our everything when it
> > comes to shell collecting resources, references and enrichment. But what
> > happens when the list goes down or our computers fail us? Crashes and
> > data losses are common disasters. Are we willing to give up the paper?
> > Most of us will undoubtedly cry "No Way!!!" Note the continued influx of
> > new shell books. And they sell. Ask Guido, Patty, Maria and the
> > Janowskys. One can't cuddle up for a good read with a computer screen
> > and a keyboard. Nor can one take it to the breakfast table with a good
> > cup of coffee and a roll. Coffee tends to get real cold while one stares
> > into the big square eye, and rolls turn to rock.
> >
> >  I'd guess that if we saw the periodical publications issue by issue,
> > we'd buy them all in a flash! Yet they don't come that way. We have to
> > subscribe, put all our money out front. So we squawk about costs and
> > don't do it. Yet, really, the cost of a good publication is less than a
> > lot of shells we buy every month.  But folks, it is as simple as this!
> > If we don't support the publications we love, we won't have them. Among
> > others: gone is Hawaiian Shell News; there used to be a great New
> > Caledonian pub called Rossiniana;  Tom Rice and his Of Sea and Shore
> > have struggled in the past; Steve Long and his Opisthobranch Newsletter
> > died for lack of financial support. What else? Apex/Arion has recently
> > scaled back. And several worthy club publications would never dare go
> > larger.
> >
> > Yes, what Gijs says is true...Americans are not as aware of the
> > excellence of Vita Marina as they could be. And this is undoubtedly part
> > of the problem. I have tried in the past to make readers of American
> > Conchologist aware of this fine publication, but have not kept up with
> > this PR job as well as I could wish.
> >
> > So permit me, in a second post to the list, to run through some of the
> > beautifully illustrated and excellently written articles it has featured
> > in the past few years! Just so you'll know what you are going to miss.
> >
> > A suggestion for someone out there: Conch-L is a super medium for
> > reviews of the malacological and conchological journals. It would do the
> > publications good and it would do us a world of good. Anyone willing to
> > take the job on?
> >
> > Another suggestion: if you don't subscribe to Vita Marina/Spirula, give
> > some really quick thought to doing so and put your money where your
> > heart is! Write Jean Paul and Gijs. Show support.
> >
> > Lynn Scheu
> > Editor, American Conchologist since 1987
> > Conchologists of America
> > Louisville, KY

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