Hi Peggy: I too got a chance to see this 12 years ago... quite a site! They come up near the back sides of several of the cays every year at the same time. This occurrence is seen from Ambergris Caye, heading south to Caye Caulker (Corker), Caye Chapel, and down to just north of Belize City at Drowned Caye. I've not heard of this event further south past the cape at Belize City. Perhaps it is as far south as Dangria? The rest of the coast lacks the protected bay from the barrier reef island system, whereas the islands become quite small and progressive dispersed. I don't know the species range. Although strictly speculative, on shear species volume it may indicate that this could be H. messorius’ home grounds. I know H. messorius ranges from Florida to Columbia & Venezuela, but no where have I ever heard of the quantity that you find in the Bay/Lagoon system in upper Belize I have found it in the Bay Islands of Honduras in dredge spoil, but none live. They are found up near the Honduran mainland at least as far south as Punta Patuca (Vokes 1988). Perhaps Emilio García has collected them there and knows the range and abundance. Vokes & Vokes 1983 - Dist of Shallow Water Marine Mollusca of the Yucatan Peninsula, Does not list this species, additionally the publication’s coverage ends north of Ambergris Caye at the Belize/ Mexico border. I will note that as you travel north form Ambergris Caye the back bay becomes considerably more estuarine which could account for a non-occurrence immediately to the north. Ponder & Vokes 1988 – Revision of the Indo-west Pac. Fossil & Recent Sp. of Murex s.s. & Haustellum See ya at COA! Leslie Allen Crnkovic HARF/IMCS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I was in Belize last month and we were privileged to watch Haustellum messorius laying eggs in a communal clump. I got a (rather poor) photo with someone's throwaway underwater camera. This was in San Pedro Lagoon in about four feet of water. There were several murex in the area, some heading for the clump and some away (finished?). Some were moving very actively. The clump was about 8" across at that time and there were about six animals still laying. It was loose in a depression in the sand. Peggy