I believe that term "bommie" started out as "bomb"--actually, "coral bomb"-- because, as described, they rise up from the bottom toward the surface in a manner reminiscent of the plume of smoke that rises from a bomb blast. The fun-loving Aussies--who turned "barbeque" into "barbie"--gave it their own inflection... and, that's O.K. by me! These are, indeed, gathering places for all manner of ocean life--molluscs, too. (Obligatory CONCH-L content.) Bob Dayle _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp.