Dear David I believe Posidonia is a type of seagrass Geoff >From: David Kirsh <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: Conchologists of America List <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Protected Mediterranean Species >Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 18:20:44 -0700 > >Dear fellow nobilis owners, > >What is a posidonia field? > >I received a single large valve of P. nobilis from a friend of my family >when I visited Italy in 1974. > >David Kirsh >Durham, NC > > > From: jan neefs <[log in to unmask]> > > Reply-To: Conchologists of America List <[log in to unmask]> > > Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 23:33:08 +0200 > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Subject: Re: Protected Mediterranean Species > > > > Hello you all , > > Last year we had a holiday in Menorca , that is one of the Spanish >Balearic > > Islands . there I saw for the first time ever in a posidonia field some > > 30-40 ! living species of the Pinna nobilis in 3-5mtr deep water , some > > 100/150 meters off beach, but near rocks , and above these rocks there >were > > appartments , restaurants etc. Did you know , that inside these >wonderfull > > "mussels" there lives some lobster like creature as a sort of parasite ? > > Does anyone know if this occurs in other Pinna species too ? > > I must confess I took 3 with me for my own collection .One was very >small , > > some 10 cm with very long spines . I know it was illegal to take them >home > > with me , but I simply could not resist these shells to leave them >lying > > dead . I simply know , that if I didn't took them , somebody else >certainly > > will .These specimens will be looked after very good , and are a good >memory > > for the best holiday ever I had over there .That doesn't justify my >actually > > taking them , but I will never sell these beauties , or exchange them , >for > > they are very precious to me . If I was very greedy I could take them >all > > for there was no checking at the airport at all .Despite of the fact I >took > > three sp. home I think I have a good common sense of letting the other > > species rest . > > What would you do in my situation as a shell-collector?letting them , or > > take one or two? > > > > I wrote this just to let you all know how I felt , and still feel about >this > > protection of endangered species . > > The Cypraea's are the very same , but I will not take every species I >'ll > > encounter , just take for my own collection . > > > > until another time , Jan Neefs > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Rafael María Puertas Rey <[log in to unmask]> > > To: <[log in to unmask]> > > Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2001 10:32 PM > > Subject: Protected Mediterranean Species > > > > > >> Dear Michael and all, > >> > >> The first Pinna nobilis I saw in my life was an item > >> 'standing' near an anphora in a garden of a housing > >> scheme in La Manga, Murcia (Spain). Of course, it had > >> been brought there by divers. > >> > >> I remember thinking at once: "there must be more > >> somewhere near here". I looked for Posidonia fields, > >> and after a couple of days I found one -1.5 m deep. I > >> could count at least forty items of 'nobilis'. Nearly > >> half of the population was dead, but remained empty in > >> their living position. > >> > >> Three years after that I came back (2000). They had > >> built four new blocks close to the beach: I could only > >> observe a couple of living animals; anyhow, the empty > >> shells where still there, standing like 'living > >> deads'... (the secret about the sumerged "graveyard" > >> had been preserved). This gave me the main arguments > >> for considering pollution the actual reason for their > >> disappearance. > >> > >> Nevertheless, I agree with you. If divers had learnt > >> of the population existence, the situation would have > >> been even worse. I guess this is because some divers > >> do not collect, though; they simply spoil. > >> > >> On the other hand, in case you summed up all the > >> people in Málaga and Murcia in real want of a Pinna > >> 'nobilis' for a serious collection (not to leave it > >> 'decorating' in the grass, or to show your friends the > >> 'giant mussel' you have fished), the result won't be > >> much over sixty? seventy? people... > >> > >> Obviously, in my first mail I was talking about the > >> little impact exerted by reasonable, sensible > >> collectors with a deep sense of responsability, as I > >> think most of us are. > >> > >> Best regards, > >> > >> Fali. > >> > >> Rafael María Puertas Rey. > >> > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________________________ > >> Nokia Game ha comenzado > >> Haz clic y disfruta de la nueva aventura multimedia de Nokia > >> antes del 3 de noviembre. > >> http://es.promotions.yahoo.com/info/nokiagame.html > >> _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp