I suppose everyone else already knew or would have expected this, but in my ignorance I was surprised to find, amongst shells I collected yesterday, two Cryptonatica janthostomoides with second opercula. In the small of the two, the primary, outer operculum was broken, width-wise. Underneath it, attached to it, was a replacement operculum, only about halfways developed. It is not fully as wide, nor is it full thickness, but it is not merely part of the attached supporting flesh; it is hard, like the operculum. In the larger of the two specimens exhibiting this, there appears to be nothing wrong with the outer operculum; it is not broken, but it is followed by another fully developed operculum of essentially the same size. They don't cast off opercula as they grow, do they? I have been assuming that they simply continue to enlarge their opercula as they expand their shells. Among perhaps a hundred C. janthostomoides of various sizes I have examined, these are the first two like this I have observed. As long as I keep finding something different, each trip is worthwhile. Sorta like daily life, eh? Please enlighten me: Who is it who calls himself "the Prince of Tides," and does someone refer to R. Tucker Abbott as "Our Tucker Rabbit?" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------