Hi All, I am new to this list. Many of you I know outside Conch-L but I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Andre Poremski from Wisconsin, USA. I'm relatively "new" to this community, however I have been specializing in Conidae since I was 12...ok maybe not to my current level, but I collected only beach cones from my family Florida trips (mostly spurius atlanticus and anabathrum)and gave away or left the rest on the beach. My love for Conidae was ignited! Now I specialize in Conidae from the Western Atlantic, Caribbean and Panamic Provinces only. I am well aware that I am entering a "brave new world" of shell collecting as the hobby is getting tougher by the year, and I also haven't chosen the easiest area to specialize...but I'm ready for the challenge. I will have many questions I hope some of you can answer, but I'll list one today: What is the health of the larger Conidae species of Utila Island, Honduras? I know the area is now protected and thus prohibited of any collection, but I'd like to know if C. sunderlandi, harlandi, and the interesting densely patterned spurius are still alive and well. I know that some areas in the Bahamas have been hit pretty hard by hurricanes, so I'm trying to access the health of some of my favorite species. Also, I have a bunch of Utila spurius that are all around 30 mm. Many dealers have told me this is a dwarf population, but I don't believe it...the lips are not mature on these specimens like the stunted ones I got from Yucatan. Can this population exceed 50mm? Thanks, Andre ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs To leave this list, click on the following web link: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=conch-l&A=1 Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and click leave the list. ----------------------------------------------------------------------