I would like to offer a point, each, regarding shells damaged by drilling and shells damaged by wear, probably not from wave action. First, my collection includes only one shell to which I have given a personal name, and it remains one of my favorites. I call it "Dumb and Dumber." It is a live-taken Pteropurpura with two holes drilled, one into the ventral aspect, midway along, axially, the callus. Somehow, it appears to have missed the critter. That was "dumb," but dumber was the hole drilled completely through the wide, flared lip, with no reasonable expectation of hitting the retracted animal. Secondly, I have taken two Volutopsius furukawai (I think) which I got alive although their shells, just posterior to the aperture, on the ventral aspect, were worn all the way through, with the animal bulging partly out the irregular wear opening. The shells are otherwise quite intact and strong, except where worn through as stated. Most Volutopsius, including a lot of middendorffi/emphaticus I get are worn "bald" there, through their perio, and several hsve been worn quite thin there, some even with slight holes worn through, but these two are the only ones I found substantially exposed to attack, in that way. I am curious to learn on what terrain they are dragging their shells so abrasively. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------