VOLUME XXX, No. 1 ISSN 0885-1263 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES FEB - 8 1994 DECEMBER 1993 LIBRARY The Texas Conchologist is the official publication of the Houston Conchology Society, Inc., and is published three times annually at Houston, Texas. It is distributed as part of the dues to all members. The Society holds regular meetings the fourth Wednesday in each of the following months: August, September, October, January, February, March, April, and May. In November, the meeting is held the third Wednesday. Meetings are held at Southside Place Club House, 3743 Garnet, Houston, Texas. Meetings begin at 8:00 p.m. The Texas Conchologist is published October, February, and June. It is mailed postpaid to regular members in U.S. postal zones. Overseas members will be charged additional postage. Only one copy will be mailed to a family membership. Dues extend from the beginning of the fiscal year of June 1 through May 31. However, the July issue of the Texas Conchologist each year is the fourth quarterly due on the regular dues year beginning June 1 of the previous year. Memberships will be accepted throughout the year but will receive quarterlies of that fiscal year. Members receive meeting Newsletters and have all other privileges provided by the Society's by-laws. Rates and Dues Family membership $12.00 Single membership $10.00 Student membership $6.00 Single Issues $2.50 Extra sets mailed to members $10.00 (Postage for overseas members required) Subscription $12.00 (Seamail $5.00, Airmail outside U.S. $8.00) Editor Distribution Editorial Advisor Richard M. Yuill Gary Olson Constance E. Boone 1230 Lake Estates Ct. 3706 Rice Blvd. Sugar Land, Texas 77478 Houston, Texas 77005 (713) 491-3842 (713) 668-8252 Editorial Staff Helmer Odé 3319 Big Bend Dr. Austin, Texas 78731 (512) 452-7794 The Texas Conchologist accepts contributions for publication from amateurs, students, and professionals, subject to approval by the Editor. Manuscripts should be typed and double-spaced, and should be in the hands of the Editor the first day of the month preceding publication dates. Photos accompanying articles are welcomed. TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 1 Search and Seizure by Constance E. Boone What Happens When Old Conchs Retire? Sometimes, something very, very nice happens! Sometimes, it is disastrous! But, we’ll tell only about the nice things, OK? Our former president, James (Jim) Sartor, an ardent collector of minute, micro, and juvenile shells for many years, retired early a couple of years ago from Exxon and has found a new hobby. Fortunately for the Houston Museum of Natural Science, this new love of Jim’s means that the Mala- cology Department of HMNS got his entire collection. Several thousand very fine shells, most with good data, many from areas in the Western Atlantic that will augment the museum’s collections, and many others from foreign localities from which we have few specimens, are now safely in the hands of the museum’s curator, Constance E. Boone. Boone states, “We hate to see Jim leave Houston (because, yes, he is mov- ing as soon as he sells his house), but we are most appreciative of his gift to the museum. Many gifts of beautiful and large shells are offered and ac- cepted through the years at HMNS, but we have few offers of the small shells of the world which actually make up the bulk of the known mol- lusks.” Jim has spent his years of love of shells looking through the microscope and sorting shell grunge. He bought a fine collection of shells from Ellen Crovo of Florida and has many of the shells from the Frank van Norkhoven collection. There are purchases from many parts of the world that make the Sartor collection worthwhile. What is old conch Jim going to do now? Well, he is already doing it. He is into genealogy, learning all about the Sartor roots. He’s traveling to follow clues in old courthouse records, talking to distant relatives, tracking down more. It all sounds a bit like trying to track down the names of micro and minute shells in the literature, doesn’t it? Since he retired quite early in life, Jim probably doesn’t think he’s an old conch anyway! Jim and his wife traveled around East Texas and Louisiana (where he is from originally) looking for a place to settle. They have decided to build a house in Nacogdoches. So they won’t be that far away, and we hope they will come back to visit. Jim did keep his microscope. So, what is bad about retiring for some old conchs? Well, the grandkids get dumped on us and they play around with our shells and mix up the 2 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 labels. We have no money to travel to all those exotic places where all the rare shells live. We’re not as spry aS we once were and climbing over rocks to get to the neat beaches isn’t easy anymore. We can’t read as well as we once could. We can’t keep up with the newest literature because books are so expensive. Besides, we gave away our shells, didn’t we? We have a new hobby that is supposed to keep us busy: Like gardening, or birdwatching, or doing needlepoint, or going to antique shops. Ho, hum, maybe we’d better get busy cataloging our shells so they will mean some- thing to somebody or some museum, if we can find one that is interested. TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 3 Additional Records of Perna Perna (Linne, 1758) On the Texas Coast Roe Davenport The introduction and dispersal of the brown mussel, Perna perna (Linne, 1758) along the south Texas coast, has been documented by Hicks and Tunnell (1993). They indicate that it was first collected at the Port Aransas jetty in February 1990, and was later found at the Fish Pass jetties on Mus- tang Island and at Port Mansfield Pass. In the reprint in The Mitchelli, it was noted that it had also been found on the jetties at Brazos Santiago Pass (South Padre Island). During July and August 1993, I was able to explore the jetties at Fish Pass, Port Aransas, South Padre Island and St. Joseph Island during times of low water. On the jetties at Port Aransas, Fish Pass and South Padre Island, I found and collected Perna perna ranging in size from about 3 mm to about 60 mm. The smaller shells were inadvertently collected on larger shells to which they were attached. I also collected a dead shell among the rocks of the north jetty at Fish Pass that measures 90 mm. I found the mussels on both sides of the Port Aransas jetty in several small colonies. At Fish Pass, the rocks on both sides of both jetties were extensively covered with mus- sels, mostly small, in the intertidal zone. At South Padre Island, I found small groups at various places in the Brazos Santiago channel, while on the north (beach) side, I found an extensive collection of them from the beach outward and another group near the end of the jetty. On the day that I was at South Padre Island, the water was extremely low and the Perna perna extended about two feet above the water level. When I was at the jetty on St. Joseph Island, I could not find any indication that Perna perna is living at that location, only a short distance from where they were first discovered. Recently, on November 1, 1993, I had an opportunity to explore the jetty at Matagorda Beach with the water unusually low and calm. About one-fourth of the way out the jetty on the east side, I discovered and collected a single specimen of Perna perna, 52 mm in length. Encouraged by this find, I carefully checked the rocks of the jetty along both sides, but failed to find any additional specimens. The size of the shell would indicate that it had been there for some time, but the lack of any additional shells suggests that it has not really developed a population at Matagorda Beach at this time. This evidence does seem to indicate that Perna perna has the ability to live in areas farther north than previously known. 4 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 References Hicks, D.W. and J.W. Tunnell, Jr. 1993. Invasion of the south Texas coast by the edible brown mussel Perna perna (Linnaeus, 1758), The Ve- liger 36(1):92-94. (as reprinted in The Mitchelli, 13(7), April 1993. THE SHE-SELLS-SEASHELLS AWARD Read on; you’ll never guess who gave this award! Looking for “delightfully, atrocious pieces of legal writing,” the Plain Language Committee of the State Bar of Texas presented the “She-Sells- Seashells Award” in 1992 to the following “lilting legislative alliteration:” A new Texas law read as follows: “Shucking of Shellfish — Shellfish shall not be subjected to contamination while being held or processed. Shellstock to be shucked shall be stored ... in such locations that contamination from standing water or splash from foot traffic does not occur ....Only safe and wholesome shellfish shall be shucked.” 25 Tex Admin. Code 241.69 (a)(1),(a)(3) (1992 Supp.) TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 5 The Snipe Bills: Genus Haustellum (Gastropoda, Muricidae), From The Red Sea Henk K. Mienis : Mollusk Collection, Zoological Museum Dept. Evolution, Systematics & Ecology Hebrew University 91904 Jerusalem Israel In a previous note I have briefly discussed the presence of species belong- ing to the genus Murex, Linnaeus, 1758: the so-called Spiny Murex, in the Red Sea (Mienis, 1993). Most closely related to those Spiny Murex are the Snipe bills constituting the genus Haustellum Schumacher, 1817. Even until recently this group was considered a subgenus of Murex; however, Ponder & Vokes (1988) raised it to generic level. Haustellum differs conchologically from Murex in lacking a labral tooth. The main differ- ences in the anatomy are to be found in the vas deferens: being either an open groove or simple tube in Haustellum and a muscular tube in Murex. Of the 17 (sub)species recognized by Ponder & Vokes (1988), two were recorded from the Red Sea: Haustellum haustellum longicaudus (Baker, 1891) and Haustellum malabaricus (E.A. Smith, 1894), without giving any more information concerning exact localities. The presence of Haustellum haustellum longicaudus in the Red Sea was confirmed recently by Houart (1990: 332, figs. 12-13), who reported a single specimen from Ethiopia, Malajus. In addition he mentioned four specimens from three localities in the Gulf of Aden. The latter material was reported as Haustellum haustellum (Linnaeus, 1758) by Wranik & Saad (1992: 61). In the National Mollusc Collection of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJ) are four samples of Haustellum from the Red Sea fitting the descrip- tion of longicaudus. Each of these samples consist of a single specimen and are supplied with the following locality data: ETHIOPIA, dredged, leg. A Ben-Tuvia, 1958 (HUJ 36770); Jebel Attair, net, leg. H. Oren, 8 February 1958 (HUB 32382); Dvulkurush, dredged at depth of 32 fath- oms, leg. H. Oren, 10 February 1958 (HUJ 36769); Dahlak Islands, dredged, 1962 (HUJ 36771). From these data and those published by Houart (1992) it appears that longicaudus is confirmed in its distribution to the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. From the latter area, Ponder & Vokes (1988: 86) mentioned the nominal species Haustellum haustellum haustellum (Linnaeus, 1758). 6 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 The latter was also recorded by Sharabati (1984: plt. 17, figs. 4-4a) from the Red Sea. The deep rose coloured aperture of the figured specimen seems to confirm the identification. According to these data, two different forms of haustellum seem to occur in the Southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden: the nominal species and longicaudus. This makes it rather doubtful whether it is possible to main- tain longicaudus as a subspecies of haustellum. Since there are marked differences in the protoconchs of haustellum (Ponder & Vokes, 1988: 146, fig. 48D; and Houart, 1990: fig. 31) and longicaudus (Houart, 1990, fig. 29), the latter is here considered a distinct species (see Figs. 1 & 2). According to these data, two species of Snipe bills seem to live in the Southern Red Sea: Haustellum haustellum and Haustellum longicaudus. The presence of a third species: Haustellum malabaricus (E.A. Smith, 1894) has to be confirmed by well documented additional finds. References Houart, R. 1990. New taxa and new records of Indo-Pacific species of Murex and Haustellum (Gastropoda, Muricidae, Muricinae). Bull. Mus. Natn. Hist. Nat. 4 (12) (A-2): 329-347. Mienis, H.K. 1993. Spiny Murex from the Red Sea. Texas Conchologist 29(3&4): 50-52. Ponder, W.F. and E.H. Vokes. 1988. A revision of the Indo—West Pacific fossil and recent species of Murex s.s. and Haustellum (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Muricidae). Rec. Australian Mus., Suppl. 8: 1-160. Sharabati, D. 1984. Red Sea shell. KPI, London. 128 pp. Wranik, W. and M. Saad. 1992. Zur Weichtierfauna des nordwestlichen Indik mit einer Uebersicht der bei den Expeditionen der Universitaet Rostock und des Meeresmuseums Stralsund gesammelten Arten. Meer und Mu- seum, Stralsund. 8: 34-63. TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 Fig 1: Haustellum longicaudus (Baker, 1891) — protoconch Fig 2: Haustellum haustellum (Linnaeus, 1758) — protoconch Scale bars: 0.5 mm (both figures after Houart, 1990) 8 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 Shelling in the Florida Panhandle Lucy Clampit Since the Florida Panhandle is one of our favorite shelling areas, Jerry and I were really looking forward to the 1993 Conchologists of America con- vention in Panama City Beach, Florida. Convention Chairpersons Jim and Linda Brunner promised lots of field trips. We were not disappointed. Some of the marine shelling trips were to locations that are accessible by boat only, but thanks to the Brunners and the Gulf Coast Shell Club, we now know of two new beach areas that can be reached by car. The first spot is in downtown Panama City! Drive east on Highway 98. Cross the bridge between Panama City Beach and Panama City; turn right when you reach Business 98. Follow Bus. 98 for 1.8 miles to the turnout parking area on the right. You can park there or go a few yards farther and park at Lake Caroline Park on the left. (You will be on the Beach Drive portion of Bus. 98.) This is a good area for wading and snorkeling. It yielded the usual Oliva sayana, Fasciolaria hunteria, Melongena corona, Argopecten irradians, and others. Our best find was a nice orange pecten. We were only there for a short time, so I am sure there are other mollusks to be found. We didn’t even get to the jetty located several yards west of the parking lot. The other shelling area is St. Andrew’s Sound on Tyndall Air Force Base property. It is open to the public. Drive east on Highway 98 through Panama City to Tyndall AFB. Go through the main part of the Base with lots of buildings. Pass the Subscale Launch Facility. It will be on the right. Drive for 1.2 miles. On the far side of the next large open area turn right on a red clay road. Follow it to the main trail junction then turn right for the beach. (This is approximately 20 miles, or more, east of the bridge that you cross when you enter Panama City.) This site is one of those wonderful white beaches. It is also good for wading and snorkeling, but the water is a little rougher than it was in the first location. On our visit, Jerry and I did not do any collecting, but a field trip participant won the prize for the “wading find of the day” with a large Strombus alatus that she collected here. We talked to a man who collects regularly in this area. He said that we could also access the beach farther east. Drive east on Hwy 98 and turn TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 9 right on the road just before the sign designating the end of the Air Force Base. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to check it out. We hope this will give you some new places to collect on your next trip to Florida. Happy shelling! 60th Annual Meeting American Malacological Union, 1994 The 1994 meeting of the American Malacological Union will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in the center of downtown Houston, Texas, July 9 to 14, 1994. We are especially pleased to have wonderful support from the Houston Conchology Society which has been, for many years, an affiliate member of this society of professional and serious workers in the world of shells. Members are invited to attend the sessions, by registering. You do not have to be a member of AMU to participate. Some of you will certainly be helping President Constance Boone, and she welcomes your help in regis- tration, manning the audio and slide equipment, etc. Members Virginia Joiner and Jean Holman will be involved with special social events. Mildred and Harold Harry will help with packaging regis- tration materials, and they will need additional help. Several of you have already indicated your willingness to participate. I do appreciate this very much. The club has also been asked to put together gift packages of Epitonium angulatum to be favors at a social event. The collections at the Houston Museum of Natural Science will be avail- able to visitors. The Museum is providing assistance for a fiesta at the Museum, as well as offering help in printing the program. Our nearby friends in the Sea Shell Searchers Club of Brazoria are already working to organize plans for the field trip to be held on July 14. They will host the visit to Surfside Beach. This club will also provide shell gifts of the Texas State Shell to be used at the banquet. The meeting wiil begin with the President’s Taste of Texas reception on July 9. A workshop on unionids is planned, with Dr. Raymond Neck as organizer. There will be contributed papers and posters, as well as the 10 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 annual auction of books and shells. A dealers’ bourse will be in place on July 9, 10, and 11. A Sunday afternoon barbecue at George Ranch is scheduled. A special symposium on The Mollusca of the Gulf of Mexico will be chaired by Drs. Joseph C. Britton, Texas Christian University, and John W. Tunnell, Jr., Corpus Christi State University. Other field trips include one to the Marine Biomedical Institute at Galveston, a visit to fossil sites, and an investigation of freshwater streams. You will sign up for your choice with registration. Hotel accommodations at the Hyatt Regency are as follows: single or double occupancy $73.00; triple occupancy $89.00; quadruple occupancy $99.00. The Hyatt Regency is conveniently located to many restaurants and the Houston Museum of Natural Science and is connected to the tunnel shops. Daily trips to the Galleria shopping center and downtown malls will be provided. We hope you’ll join Connie in the fun and adventures into the world of mollusks. We’re giving you an advance preview of the logo for the meeting, prepared by superb artist Sue Stephens from Sanibel, Florida. This logo will be presented in full color on T-shirts that will be available during the meeting. The president chose to feature the Texas State Shell, originally sponsored by the Brazoria Club and Brazosport Museum, and the logo, Epitonium angulatum, from the Houston Conchological Society. To reach the organizers of this meeting, use the following information: Constance E. Boone, Tel. (713) 639-4677 (Museum); President (713) 668-8252 (home) Dr. Raymond W. Neck Tel. (713) 639-4678 (Museum) Dr. Joseph C. Britton Tel. (817) 921-7165 (TCU); Fax (817) 292-1290 Dr. John W. Tunnell, Jr. ' Tel. (512) 991-6810, ext. 470; Fax (512) 994-2742 Fax number for Boone and Neck: (713) 523-4125 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 11 a rages: FAQ) Perversum pulley) een (Hollister; 1958) e tbe i angulaturm (Say185\) my ea (Say, 12 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 HCS 1993 Prize Recipient Harold Harry This year the Houston Conchology Society is pleased to award five hun- dred dollars to Ms. Jennifer Horgan for her Master’s Thesis at Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, where she was a student of Dr. Joseph Britton. The abstract of her thesis is published below. A native of New York City, Ms. Horgan graduated with a visual arts ma- jor, in 1990, from College of Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. Later she enrolled at Texas Christian University in Environmental Science, and she was a teaching assistant in the Biology Department. Now she has returned to New York, where she is attending the Hofstra Law School. A copy of her thesis is in the library of the Houston Conchology Society. ABSTRACT MARINE INVERTEBRATES AS BIOINDICATORS OF HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION ALONG THE TEXAS COAST Jennifer A. Horgan, M.S., 1993 Department of Environmental Science Texas Christian University Thesis Advisor: Joseph Britton, Professor A variety of organisms accumulate pollutant metals in their tissues and shells and can be used as bioindicators to determine the long term impact and accumulation of metals in the environment. Harbors, ports, and coastal habitats are likely to be contaminated by high levels of harmful anthropo- genic chemicals from industry, shipping, urban drainage and agricultural runoff. What may result from the above are potentially hazardous or un- healthy environments for marine organisms. Three marine invertebrates have been used as bioindicators of heavy metal contamination along the Texas coast. A survey for seven trace metals — Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sn, and Zn — has been carried out using a stripped littorine snail, Nodilittorina interrupta, the false limpet, Siphonaria pectinata, and the barnacle, Chthamalus fragilis, taken from seven jetty sites from the Brazos-Santiago Pass to Galveston. All sample sites except one, Port Mansfield, were locations thought to be potentially contaminated because of heavy boat traffic and other human activities. TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 13 Results indicate that there are significant differences of metal bioavailability among species. All three species are herbivores, although their uptake is not the same. The organisms’ positions on shore may also play a role in this variability. Mean metal concentration from the sample sites indicate that Port Mansfield is not uncontaminated, and Corpus Christi consistently has markedly lower metal concentrations than the other sites. In comparison to related species’ metal concentrations from different loca- tions throughout the world, the Texas coast has much greater mean Cr and Ni concentrations and much lower mean Cd and Pb concentrations. Jennifer Horgan, 1993 HCS Student Prize Recipient 14 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 History of Shell Collecting Prepared by T.E. Pulley for 1984 Seminar at Houston Museum of Natural Science I. A History of Shell Collecting A. Greece and Rome tr: History of Animals by Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) introduced many names still used today. a. Purpura, Haliotis, Nerita, Solen, Tellina. b. Aristotle used Mollusca (soft) for the cephalopods. He called shelled forms Ostracoderma. Natural History by Pliny the Elder (A.D. 23-79) added little to Aristotle. Pliny died at Pompeii. Some early shell collections and shell collectors. a. A collection found in Pompeii (destroyed in A.D. 79) included many Mediterranean shells, but there were 4 species from the Red Sea or Indian Ocean: Cypraea pantherina, Cypraea erosa, Conus textile, Pinctada maregaritifera. b. Cicero is quoted as saying that 2 famous Roman Con- suls, Laelius and Scipio, found relaxation from the cares of war and government in collecting shells. B. The Middle Ages h Speculum Naturae by Vincent of Beauvais (1190-1264) con- tained descriptions of shells, but they were mostly copied from Aristotle and Pliny. De Animalibus by Albertus Magnus (1193-1280) was intended as a commentary on Aristotle’s work, but it did include many original observations. Illuminated manuscripts often included beautiful illustrations of shells. Most were Mediterranean species, but some were from the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. C. Renaissance Cabinets — Cabinets of Amateurs: The opening of sea routes stimulated curiosity about the world. Antiquities, coins, medals, shells, etc. were considered desirable “curiosities” for collectors. Most cabinets were wooden cases, elaborately painted, with sliding glass-covered drawers. The arrangements within the drawers was according to the owner’s artistic fancy, and little attention was given to relationship. 1. The center of interest was in Holland, because the Dutch were the leading merchants with ships arriving daily from all TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 15 over the world. Desiderius Erasmus (1467-1536) was one of the earliest collectors. Albrecht Dtirer (1471-1528), a famous German artist, was also a shell collector. Conrad Gessner (1516-1565) is often claimed to have been the first person to form a museum of natural objects. His collection was certainly the largest of his day, and parts of it may still be seen in the Natural History Museum at Basle. John Tradescant (died 1628) developed the first museum of natural objects in England. His son, John Tradescant II, enlarged the collection and bequeathed it to Elias Ashmole (1617-1692), who in turn gave it to Oxford University. It was the nucleus of the existing Ashmolean Museum. D. The Pre-Linnaean Collections and Authors 1. Three books set the stage for a rapidly expanding interest in shells. They were what the amateur has always wanted — picture books that made it possible to put names on their Shells. a. Ricreatione dell’Occhio e della mente (1681) by Philipo Buonani was a picture book devoted entirely to shells. b. Historia Conchyliorum (1685-92) by Martin Lister was the first scientific approach to mollusks. it consisted of nearly 1000 plates with brief descriptions, often includ- ing localities, engraved with the figures. It was the first attempt to group similar kinds together. c. Amboinische Rariteitkamer (1705) by Georg Eberhard Rumphius (1627-1702) was the lifework of a genius of a man who was employed by the Dutch East India Com- pany on the island of Amboina. He made many astute observations in the field, and his book is filled with accurate information. With the books of Buonani, Lister, and Rumphius to guide them, every royal or wealthy family soon had its Cabinet and an author-curator. a. Index Testarum Conchyliorum (1742) was a picture book of Nicola Gualtieri (1688-1744), physician to Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany in Italy. b. Conchyliologie (1742) was another picture book but with some organization into Class - Family - Genus - Spe- cies. It was written by Antoine Joseph Dezallier d’Argenville (1680-1765), Secretary to the King of France. c. Choix de Coquillages et de Crustacés (1758) was pub- 16 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 lished in both French and German and had superb plates. The author was Franz Michael Regenfuss (1713-1780), a German painter and engraver who was appointed En- graver to the King of Denmark. d. Thesaurus by Albert Seba (1665-1736) was published in 4 volumes. Volume III was published in 1758 long after Seba’s death. It is an odd book of illustrations of shells arranged in peculiar designs, including a satyr’s head. The figures were well drawn, and referred to by Linnaeus. e. Histoire Naturelle du Sénégal (1757) by Adanson (1726- 1806) was intended to be a series, but only the volume on mollusks was ever published. Adanson was the first to use many characters of internal anatomy, the opercu- lum, and the muscle scars of bivalves to establish a sys- tem of classification. He was so concerned with anatomy as the key to classification that he regarded the beauty of shells as an unfortunate distraction. E. Linneaus and the binomial system. sa Systema Naturae, 10th edition (1758), was described by its author, Carolus Linnaeus, as a concise, methodical, and in- genious synopsis whereby a mineral, a plant, or an animal could be referred to a definite place within a system and associated with a name. This aim carries the stamp of ge- nius; from this time onward the study of shells was directed toward discerning the basic patterns, and their variations, within all natural systems. With Linnaeus as their guide, important collections were soon being made throughout Europe. Captain James Cook made 3 voyages of exploration between 1768 and 1779, and as a result of the many new species that were discovered, the center of shell-collecting activity shifted from the Continent to England. F. Lamarck and the revision of Linnaeus’ Systema I. Realization that Linnaeus had not created enough genera soon became apparent. In 1792 Burguiere published Encyclopédie méthodique, and several new genera were proposed. Jean Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, Comte de Lamarck, at the age of 50 was appointed Prof. of Zoology at the Natu- ral History Museum of Paris. He had a large collection of shells, and with the collection at the Museum, he soon began publishing: 1799 — Prodrome d’une nouvelle classification des TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 17 coquilles 1801 — Systéme des animaux sans vertébres 1818-22 — Histoire Naturelle des animaux sans vertebres So many new genera were proposed that it seemed as if Linnaeus had been destroyed. Opposition was often bitter. G. The Cumingian era 1. Hugh Cuming, an Englishman, moved to Chile where he had acquired sufficient wealth to retire in 1826 at the age of 35. He built a yacht, the Discoverer, the first ever built specifically for collecting and transporting shells and other natural history specimens. From 1827 to 1839 he collected in the Pacific and sold his shells in England. The Cuming material was described by Broderip, the Sowerbys (3 generations), Reeve, Pfeiffer, Adams, Deshayes, Carpenter, and Prime. H. Some other important ocean voyages 1. ps: 3. 4 5. Astrolabe with Quoy and Gaimard in 1826-29. Bonite with Souleyet and Eydoux in 1836-37. Venus 1836-39. Beagle in 1832-36. Darwin was the collector and observer, but he didn’t do much with shells. U.S. Exploring Expedition (1837) took Joseph Pitty Couthouy with a commission as “Conchologist of the Scientific Corps,” the first man on a government-sponsored expedition assigned specifically to collect mollusks. The specimens sent back were badly treated in Washington; a workman removed all the numbered metal tags in the jars because they were stain- ing the alcohol. The numbers were the only key to the data for the specimens, and their scientific value was thus de- stroyed. Congressmen also rifled the collection and sent pretty shells home as souvenirs. A report on the collection was finally published by A.A. Gould in 1852-6. I. American Conchology A. The pioneers i Thomas Say was the first conchologist to publish in the U.S. His article was called “Conchology,” and it appeared in Nicholson’s Encyclopedia of Arts and Sciences in 1816. He also published in the Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. and the New Harmony Disseminator of Useful Knowledge, and he was the author of a book entitled American Conchology. His TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 collected works were reprinted by Wm. G. Binney in 1858. Constantine Rafinesque described land and freshwater shells of the central states. He began publishing in 1818 in the American Monthly Magazine. His principal work was the Monograph of the Shells of the Ohio River. Thomas Conrad was a prolific describer of land, freshwa- ter, marine, and fossil shells. His papers appeared regularly from 1830 - 1871, mostly in the publications of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia and the Am. Jour. of Conch. American Marine Conchology, an important early reference, was published in 1831. Isaac Lea was primarily interested in the freshwater bivalves. In 1836 he published A Synopsis of the Family of Naiades. He published most frequently in the Proceedings and the Transactions of the American Philosophical Society and the Proceedings and the Journal of the Academy of Natural Sci- ences in Philadelphia. Edmund Ravenel founded the first museum of natural his- tory in the U.S. in Charleston, South Carolina. His only important publication is the Catalog of Recent Shells in the Cabinet of Edmund Ravenel, M.D., 1834. C.B. Adams was a prolific author of articles about shells from New England and Jamaica in the period of 1839 - 1853. He also had one publication concerning the shells of Panama. Most of his publications appeared in the Am. Jour. of Sci- ence, Boston Journal of Nat. Hist., Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., Proc. Am. Soc. for Adv. of Science, and the Annals of the New York Lyceum. His original descriptions were care- fully done, but he rarely included a figure. In 1950, Clench and Turner republished all of his original descriptions of marine species and included photographs of the types. Joseph Pitty Couthouy was a mariner with an interest in shells. He had published in 1838 - 39 several articles on the marine shells of New England. His publications appeared in the Am. Jour. Science and the Boston Jour. Nat. Hist. He was appointed “Conchologist of the Scientific Corps” for the U.S. Exploring Expedition which cruised the world seas form 1838-1842. He was disliked by the leader of the expedition and eventually discharged. J.E. DeKay described the molluscan fauna of New York in a catalog published in 1839 and in the Zoology of New York, part V, Mollusca 1843. J.G. Anthony described many species of freshwater shells in the period 1840-1866. His publications appeared in the TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 19 B. The tas ay C. The Boston Jour. Nat. Hist., Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., the Annals of the N.Y. Lyceum, and the Am. Jour. of Conchology. Early Journals of Science The American Journal of Science and Art began in 1818. The new series started in 1846. The Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadel- phia began in 1817. The Proceedings of the Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. began in 1841. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society of Phila- delphia began in 1838. Boston Journal of Natural History began in 1837. The Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History began in 1841. Proceedings of the American Society for the Advancement of Science. Annals of the New York Lyceum. “Gouldian” era A.A. Gould published the Report on the Invertebrates of Massachusetts in 1841. It began a new approach to the study of mollusks in which interest was shifted to the anatomy of the soft parts, the precise definition of specific forms, and the geographic distribution of species. It was the first book to attempt to describe the entire molluscan fauna of a region. Gould wrote the report on the shells of the U.S. Explor- ing Expedition 1846, although the value of the report was considerably reduced by the looting of the collection before he received it and an unbelievable event that occurred when it was first unpacked. The workman noticed that the num- bered metal tags in each jar that determined the locality of that collection were staining the alcohol. He carefully re- moved all the tags and placed them in one jar. Gould also published numerous articles on land, freshwa- ter, and marine species in the Am. Jour. Science, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., and the Bost. Jour. Nat. Hist. Gould edited the very important Terrestrial Air Breath- ing Mollusks of the United States by Amos Binney which appeared in 1851 and 1857. Amos Binney published several articles on land and fresh- water shells of the U.S. between 1837 and 1845 in the Bos- ton Jour. of Nat. Hist. and the Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. His principal publication (edited by A.A. Gould) was the Terrestrial Air Breathing Mollusks of the United States. 20 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 Volumes 1 and 2 appeared in 1851 and the plates constituted volume 3 which was published in 1857. William G. Binney, the son of Amos Binney, wrote volume 4 of the Terrestrial Air Breathing Mollusks of the United States in 1859. He also wrote numerous articles on land snails in the Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., the Am. Jour. Conchology, and the R.R. Survey of the western states. In 1858 he published a reprint of the Complete Writings of Thomas Say. Temple Prime wrote numerous descriptions of the small freshwater clams Pisidium and Cyclas. His publications ap- peared in the Ann. of N.Y. Lyceum, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., the Bost. Jour. of Nat. Hist. , and the Am. Jour. Conch. in the period 1852-1870. P.P. Carpenter published the Mollusca of the West Coast of North America in 1857. He is perhaps best known for his Catalog of the Collection of Mazatlan Shells in the British Museum, 1857. William Stimpson began describing land and marine shells of New England in 1849 in the Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. In 1854 he published his Synopsis of Marine Invertebrates of Grand Manan in the Smithsonian Contributions to Knowl- edge series. In 1870 he was preparing a manual of the ma- rine invertebrates of the Atlantic Coast from Maine to Geor- gia and had most of the manuscript and plates completed. He also had all of the alcoholic material from the Smithsonian and the Portales collection. On October 8, 1871, it was all destroyed in the great Chicago fire. Had it been printed, it would have been an important landmark in American Mala- cology. D. Early Eastern Centers of Study E. Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadephia a. Proceedings b. Journal c. Extensive collections with many types d. Pilsbry Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard a. Bulletin began 1863 b. Memoirs began 1864 c. Extensive collections and many types d. Clench U.S. National Museum — established to house the specimens of the U.S. Exploring Expedition under Admiral Wilkes, TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 pA 1837. Gould published the results of the expedition in 1852- 56. Became a part of the Smithsonian Institution which was founded in 1846. a. Publications: Contributions to Knowledge, began 1848 Miscellaneous Collections, began 1862 Smithsonian Annual Reports, began 1846 U.S.N.M. Annual Reports, began 1884 Bulletin U.S. N. M., 1875-1971 Proceedings U.S.N.M., 1878-1968 Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, 1969 to present b. Wm. Healy Dall, Curator of Mollusks 1869-1914. Suc- ceeded by Bartsch. E. The “Descriptive” Conchologists 1. G. Washington Tryon was editor of the American Journal of Conchology 1865-72. He published American Marine Conchology 1873-74, and in 1879 he began the Manual of Conchology. He completed 9 volumes and was working on the tenth when he died. It was continued by his student, Henry Pilsbry. A.E. Verrill published the Report on the Invertebrate Ani- mals of Vineyard Sound in 1873. His other important work included a Catalogue of the Marine Mollusca added to the Fauna of the New England Region in 1882-84 and the Re- sults of the Explorations made by the Albatross off the North- ern Coast of the U.S. in 1885. Henry A. Pilsbry published from 1882 to 1958, often in the Nautilus, of which he was editor from its founding in 1889. He was Curator of Mollusks at the Philadelphia Academy, and he probably described more species than any other man. In addition to the land, freshwater, and marine species of the U.S., he also described much of the Japanese fauna. He is perhaps best known for his Land Mollusca of North America, 1939-1948. William Healy Dall was Curator of Mollusks at the U.S.N.M. from 1868-1914, and his publishing career extended from 1866 until his death in 1927. His most important publica- tions were the “Blake Reports” 1881, 1886, and 1889; Bul- letin 37, 1889 and the reprint with additions published in 1903; and the monograph of the Tertiary Fossils of the South Eastern States, published 1890-1903. Paul Bartsch came to the U.S.N.M. in 1896 as Dall’s assis- tant. In 1914 he was appointed Curator of Mollusks. His 2a TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 bibliography is extensive (1901-55), and he described land, freshwater, and marine species from all of the world. F. American Journals and periodical publications Sere ee ee American Journal of Conchology 1865-72 The Conchologist’s Exchange 1886-88 Nautilus 1889-current Johnsonia 1941 Veliger 1958-current Indo-Pacific Mollusca 1959 Sterkiana 1959 Malacologia 1962-current Malacological Review 1968-current TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 23 Monograph by H. Odé Distribution and Records of the Marine Mollusca in the Northwest Gulf of Mexico (A Continuing Monograph) 480. Odostomella doliolum Philippi (morph) cont. Records HMNS survey collection: 7 lots from 12-36 fms, only in calcar- eous banks environment and Stetson Bank. Geographical Range: unknown E.P.A.: no closely related form in the Panamic faunal province Max. Size: 1.5 mm Genus Pselliogyra Dall and Bartsch, 1909 This name was introduced as a subgenus of Jurbonilla for a number of shells with almost exclusively radial sculpture, of regular conical shape and largely unadorned base which may carry the continuation of radial riblets of the body whorl. Type is Turbonilla monocycla A. Adams, 1860 from Japan. The nucleus is small and obliquely immersed. The genus is not turbonellid but is close to the genera Egila, Egilima, Numaegilina, Besla, and perhaps the Australian Pukeuria. Undoubtedly some of the these la- bels will fall into synonymy when their relationships can be investigated more convincingly. Here, Pselliogyra is chosen because the survey mate- rial conforms excellently with its definition and description. 481. Pselliogyra varia (Corgan, 1967) Besla varia Corgan, 1967, Ph.D. thesis, Louisiana State University, pl. 10, figs. 1-4. Mudlump fauna, Mississippi Delta. Although Corgan’s 1967 thesis cannot be considered a valid publication, for practical purposes, I will use his name as there is no doubt whatsoever that this was an undescribed species. It is surprisingly common in the northwest Gulf of Mexico, but until Corgan described it, it had never been reported for the recent faunas of the western Atlantic. Corgan (1967) has given a very complete description from which I quote: “Besla with abun- dant prosocline axial ribs in juvenile, usually becoming opisthocline or opisthocyst in adult, numbering from 15 to 23, restricted to spire in juve- nile and extending onto base in late adult, development on base throughout in prosocline individuals with from one to three spiral ribs at periphery, opisthocyst individuals frequently develop spirally aligned axial nodes at the sutural margin....” Such nodes are shown clearly in the figure of the Closely related Pselliogyra andersoni Spaink, 1968 (described as a Chrysallida from the Miocene of the Netherlands/Spaink, 1968). 24 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 The suture is deep, but the whorl profile very flat. The largely immersed nucleus and the columellar plica are small. On the whole, this is a rather variable species both in shape (apical angle and slenderness) and sculpture (number of ribs, development of spirals). In some fresh specimens under high magnification, very fine spiral striations can be seen between the axial riblets. Records HMNS survey collection: 23 lots from 9-450 fms; no live-col- lected material. Most come from the 10-25 fms range from sandy mudbottoms off Freeport and Galveston. 3 lots from 40-55 fms off Loui- siana and one lot from the Mudlump fauna (type locality). E.P.A.: Pselliogyra has not been reported in the Panamic faunal province. Maximum Size: 3.1 mm. Most specimens are about 2.5 mm. 482. Pselliogyra sp. indet A This is a more delicate species than P. varia. It is much smaller and also the apical angle is much narrower, so that the species looks much more slender. In its general structure it is the same. The nucleus is obliquely immersed, and the columellar plica is small. There can be no doubt that this is a closely related but different species from P. varia Corgan. Records HMNS survey collection: 3 lots, one from 70 fms off Freeport on muddy sand bottom. One lot from the Mudlump fauna. No live material. E.P.A.: no similar species is known. Geographical Range: unknown Maximum Size: 1.5 mm. 483. Pselliogyra sp. indet B A third species was obtained which is also small and slender but has twice as many radial riblets, but otherwise is identical with the previous species. For the time being, it is here listed under separate label. Both lots came from muddy sand bottoms: one off Freeport, the other from Claypile Bank. Records HMNS survey collection: 2 lots from 23-26 fms. No live-col- lected material. E.P.A.: no similar species known from the Panamic faunal province. Geographical range: unknown Maximum size: 1.7 mm. 484. Pselliogyra (?) sp. indet C A fourth species is here doubtfully assigned to Pselliogyra. It has devel- oped strong spiral sculpture elements. It is an altogether much more sol- TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 25 idly developed shell, thick-walled, which has become very knobby in ap- pearance. Its shape is close to that of P. varia in appearance, somewhat stumpier than most specimens of that species, but many P. varia have the same apical angle. On each whorl are three spirals, the upper two of which are dissolved into separate knobs; the lower spiral exhibits on the first post- nuclear whorl definite beadiness but gradually develops into a continuous thick spiral thread, which forms a bump in the profile of the shell. The base of the body whorl is spirally ridged. Where it is crossed by a radial element, each ridge develops a slight button. The nucleus is deeply immersed and leaves a pit on top of the shell. The columellar plica ends deep inside the aperture. Records HMNS survey collection: A single lot from the Mudlump fauna; no live material. Geographical range: unknown. E.P.A.: This is not Chrysallida. However, some similar forms have been described from the U.S. West Coast. Maximum size: 1.5 mm. Genus Egila Dall and Bartsch, 1904 Small conical shells with strong axial ribbing, with but minimal spiral sculp- ture. On the original generic description, the base is defined to have spiral chords. In the survey material, the base is smooth without chords. In most specimens there is a peripheral groove but some Australian species do not have this groove or it is only weakly developed. (See Laseron, 1959; f.1. Egail typica from North Australia which resembles the species below). Bartsch, 1955 invented the ill-advised label Miraldella (not Miraldiella Cossmann) for a small Egila species (Egila gordonae) which might be one of the next two species. 485. Egila sp. indet A Shell very small, pupoid but somewhat conical, white, resembling the West Coast E. poppei Dall and Bartsch which is slightly more ovate and pos- sesses more axial riblets than the survey material. In overall structure, the species is close to both Pselliogyra and Besla. It has a large nucleus of the completely immersed type. Only from deeper water. Records HMNS survey collection: 6 lots from 60-75 fms., no live mate- rial. All from muddy sand bottoms from Port Aransas to Galveston. Also from the Mudlump fauna. Geographical range: unknown. E.P.A.: no similar species are known in the Panamic faunal province. Maximum size: 1.3 mm. 26 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 486. Egila sp. indet B. Only a single specimen, probably still immature, was obtained from Heald Bank. It looks fresh. The peripheral groove continues clearly up to the outer lip of the aperture. In this species the radials are clearly connected over the base. Records HMNS survey collection: 1 lot at 45 feet at South Buoy, Heald Bank. No live material. Geographical range: unknown. E.P.A.: Egila lacunata Carpenter, 1857 from “Mazatlan, Mexico” (Keen, 1971), appears close. Maximum size: 1.0 mm. Genus Besla Dall and Bartsch, 1904 Several species of this genus have been mistaken for small turbonillid. Besla contains small, often somewhat elongated odostomiids with axial ribs and three strong, raised spiral threads, one at and two below the periphery and above the suture; base marked by raised spiral threads. The type is the elongate Besla convexa Carpenter from the west coast of Mexico, with probable synonyms B. excolpa Bartsch, 1912 and Besla caneloensis Hertlein and Strong, 1951. The only Western Atlantic Besla is exremely similar, but is usually reported as a Turbonilla. Besla is world-wide. Species have been reported from Vietnam (Saurin), Japan (Yokoyama and Monura); from Sumatra (Thile). Sometimes Besla resembles Partulida Schaufurs, 1869 (type Odostomia spiralis Montagu) which is stumpier and shorter. Pilsbry reported elongate species of Besla as Turbonilla (Tragula) egressa from the Tertiary of Santo Domingo. 487. Besla elegans (d’Orbigny, 1842) Chemnitnia elegans d’Orbigny, 1842 [in] Sagra, Hist. l’Ile Cuba, p. 223, Atlas, pl.11, figs 25-27; type in Brit. Mus. d’Orbigny Collection from Cuba (fide Gray, 1854). This is a rather common species mostly reported as Turbonilla elegans d’Orbigny (see Warmke and Abbott, 1961, pl. 20, fig. 6). It has several times been collected from beach drift along the bayshores (Palacios) and most of the Texas outer beaches. Coomans and de Jong (1988) have given it unnecessarily the new name Turbonilla arnoldi de Jong and Coomans, 1988. Survey collection: Geographical range: “West Indies” (Warmke and Abbott, 1961). Curacao | TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 ya and Aruba (de Jong and Coomans, 1988) E.P.A.: Besla convexa Carpenter, 1857 is very close. “Mazatlan and Bahia San Luis Gonzaga, Mexico” (Keen, 1971) Genus Rissopsetia Dell, 1956 Small, radially ribbed gastropods, first described from New Zealand (type R. maoria Dell, 1956). Since then also discovered on Grand Cayman Island, Aruba and now found in Texas. 488. Rissopsetia hummelincki Faber, 1984 Rissopsetia hummelincki, Faber, 1984, Bull. of the Zool. Museum, Amsterdam, Vol. 6, p. 110-112. This minute, somewhat elongate shell has been collected in the Lower Laguna Madre at a water depth of 1-4 feet on muddy sand bottom. An- other specimen was obtained in Matagorda Bay. Earlier, a specimen was obtained at San Luis Pass, Galveston Island, from sieved beachdrift and was figured in the Texas Conchologist Vol. 7 (8) p. 90-91, 1969, but misidentified as Henrya sp. (Odé, 1969). Thus it appears that this species, although quite rare, has a wide distribution along the Texas coast. The species is somewhat elongate, has closely spaced radial riblets on a clearly shouldered whorl, and deep sutures; there is a somewhat immersed heterostrophic protoconch and the columella is slightly twisted. Placement of R. hummelincki in the Pyramidellidae should be confirmed by anatomi- cal studies. Records HMNS survey collection: Part of the material discussed here was not obtained during the survey but was collected by T.C. Calnan in the course of investigations by the Texas Bureau of Economic Geology during an intensive sampling program of Texas submerged lands in the Brownsville- Harlingen area. The species was also collected in San Antonio Bay, Matagorda Bay, and San Luis Pass, Galveston Island. Geographical range: Grand Cayman Island Aruba. E.P.A.: Rissopsetia was described from New Zealand. Maximum size: 1.2 mm. 489. Rissopsetia sp. indet A Two lots of a rather similar, but smooth, species were obtained: one in San Antonio Bay and the other in Christmas Bay near Galveston. It is possible that they are pathological specimens of the above species. More material is necessary for a better evaluation. Very faint ribbing on some whorls can be seen; the columella is hardly twisted. 28 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 Records HMNS survey collection: 1 lot from San Antonio Bay in 2 feet on the north shore of Matagorda Island, Texas. Geographical range: unknown E.P.A.: not known in the Panamic faunal province Maximum size: 1.0 mm. Genus Kunopia Laseron, 1959 Minute broadly conical, few whorls, greatly enlarged body whorl. Very oblique sculpture of axial chords and threads. This genus was defined by Laseron and based on a single specimen from Australia (Odostomia sigma Hedley, 1907). Here I report a similar species from the northwest Gulf of Mexico which is different, but must belong to the same genus. 490. Kunopia sp. indet A A simple, very small, glassy clear specimen was obtained from the 24 fms lump. The nucleus is not immersed, but stands with horizontal axis on top of the shell. The columellar plica is subdued and small. The shell wall is thin and vitreous. On it is visible a close net of sinuate, radial, very fine grooves or lines as in the type species. A sketch is appended. In the sketch the specimen is shown slightly rotated so as to show the columellar plica which ends deep inside the aperture. Unfortunately the outer lip of the aperture is broken. Its extremly minute size is possibly the reason that this genus so far has not been recorded from the western Atlantic. Records HMNS survey collection: one lot from the “24 fathoms lump” on algal debris bottom at 25-28 fms, obtained by divers from shell grit. No live material. Geographical range: This is the first report for the Western Atlantic. E.P.A.: unknown in the Panamic faunal province. Maximum size: +1 mm. Genus Fargoa Bartsch, 1955 This is a genus of minute gastropods close to the Partulida - Parthenia group of small species, of which hundreds have been named worldwide. Many of those species may have a worldwide distribution in oceans of warm or moderate temperatures. Thus it is probable that there are many — superfluous labels in this group of species. ; In shape Fargoa is somewhat pupoid but some specimens are slightly — elliptical in outline, a shape Abbott (1974) calls “ovately fusiform.” The — only species described as Fargoa come from the Florida Pliocene. How- ever, some species described as Chrysallida which have an immesed nucleus | may be really Fargoa (f.i. Chrysallida jadisi). it is possible that the re- TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 29 cently described Miralda robertsoni Altena, 1975 from Surinam is a Fargoa. Although Fargoa has not been reported from the west coast, it is probable that among the many so-called Chrysallidas from California and the Panamic faunal province one or two Fargoa species occur. Odostomia (Chrysallida) oonisca Dall and Bartsch, 1909 is almost certainly a Fargoa. 491. Fargoa dianthophila (Wells and Wells, 1961) Odostomia (Chrysallida) dianthophila Wells and Wells, 1961; Nautilus, Vol. 74 (4), p.152, figs 1-3. Beaufort, North Carolina. This is a common coastal species which has been collected alive often in many of the Texas bays and close in offshore waters. It lives on oyster shells between algae and on muddy sandy bottoms offshore. Especially common in Matagorda Bay where in more than 75% of the sampling loca- tions the species was found. In F. dianthophila the outer rim of the aperture has wavey undulation (shown in Abbott, 1974, fig. 3489). The nucleus of dianthophila is com- pletely immersed. The size, slenderness, and fineness of sculpture are somewhat variable. One extremely small form which was given a separate name (but was never validated) is here reported under that name because it probably is a valid species. F. dianthophila is only rarely collected from beachdrift. Records HMNS survey collection: 52 lots, from 0-25 fms, but mostly in 0-10 fms; of these 7 lots contain live material (0-2 fms). Geographical range: “Southern Massachusetts to North Carolina” (Abbott, 1974) E.P.A.: no closely related species known in the Panamic province. Maximum size: 1.7 mm. 492. Fargoa gaudens (Corgan, 1967) Chrysallida (Fargoa) gaudens Corgan, 1967; Ph.D. thesis, Louisiana State University, 2.254-255, pl. 9, fig 3. This is another of the small odostomids described by Corgan in an un- published Ph.D. Thesis. The species was never properly validated. For practical reasons, I will use here the names invented by Corgan. This small species has only been obtained in small numbers from deeper offshore waters (Port Aransas to Freeport and off Louisiana). It is a some- what more slender and much smaller species than F. dianthophila and lives apparently in a deeper depth range than the species. Also in the Mudlump fauna. Records HMNS survey collection: 6 lots from 23-70 fms; alive in 24 fms off Freeport. 30 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 Geographical range: Only known from the Mudlump fauna. E.P.A.: not determined. Maximum size: 0.7 mm. 493. Fargoa sp. indet A. This is a small deep water species, rather inflated and in consequence globular in shape and not pupoid. It is obtained from much deeper water than F. dianthophila except for one “abnormal” lot dredged at 9 fms off Galveston. These shells look like Chrysallida but their nucleus is of the completely immersed type. The reticulate sculpture is continued on the base of the shell but fades out near the chinck-like umbilicus. This could be the same as Fargoa archeri Bartsch (1955) described from the Pliocene of St. Pe- tersburg (Fla). Survey collection: 4 lots from 51-70 fms. (Lousiana 51-55 fms; Port Aransas 70 fms). No live material. One lot at 9 fms off Galveston. Geographical range: unknown E.P.A.: not determined Maximum size: 1.7 mm. Pselliogyra varia, at 11 fms off Galveston, Texas. 3.1 mm TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 Pselliogyra sp. indet A. Pselliogyra sp. indet . In 70 fms off Freeport, In 26 fms off Freepor Texas. 1.5 mm Texas. 1.7 mm Pselliogyra (?) sp. indet C. Mudlump fauna. 1.5 mm 32 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 Rissopsetia sp. indet A. Christmas Bay loc 1667. 1.0 mm Egila sp. indet A. 70 fms off Port Aransas. 1.2 mm Fargoa sp. indet A (perhaps Fargoa gaudens in 27 fms archeri Bartsch) in 55 fms. off off Freeport, Texas. .7 mm Cameron (LA). 1.6 mm HOUSTON CONCHOLOGY SOCIETY, INC. Officers 1993-1994 President: Program Vice-President: Field Trip Vice-President: Treasurer: Recording Secretary: Corresponding Secretary: Directors Rod Norman Connie Boone Luana Huggins Immediate Past President: Editor, Texas Conchologist: Mary Martin Darwin Alder Dave Barziza Cheryl Hood Marian Jordan Dave Green Steve Browning Angela Doucette Carl Vartian Jean Holman Richard M. Yuill Honorary Life Members Constance E. Boone Dr. Helmer Odé TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST, Vol. XXX, No. 1, December 1993 Table of Contents Search and Seizure What Happens When Old Conchs Retire? by Constance E. Boone ......002.04.....00:0000000 sees) sane ann 1 Additional Records of Perna Perna (Linne, 1758) On the Texas Coast by Roe Davenport. ..............ceecec cue ede cbt cues seesnee ee een 3 The Snipe Bills: Genus Haustellum (Gastropoda, Muricidae) From the Red Sea by-Henk K. Miemis .........5.05..c00020000s2ceeees ene e000 eee 5 Shelling in the Florida Panhandle by Lucy Clampit .......0.0...c050cactecsaeesteecteoeeede ese 8 60th Annual Meeting American Malacological Union, 1994 EqutOl 0. .c.sc.. cass seneddenss ses one pemnealies 6eec eg’ gna nnn 9 HCS 1993 Prize Recipient by Harold Harry. .........20c00cceccaeseessavesees ioe one cn ene 12 History of Shell Collecting by T.E. Pulley .......0..02000.c0.cécscnecsweedens ood fetvas «ieee 14 Distribution and Records of the Marine Mollusca in the Northwest Gulf of Mexico (A Continuing Monograph) by Helmer Od6...... 0. ..65....:sccccsssneteusenect accesses seen 23 CONCHOLOGIS AL 4D / My ade VOLUME XXX, No. 2 ISSN 0885-1263 MAY 1994 The Texas Conchologist is the official publication of the Houston Conchology Society, Inc., and is published three times annually at Houston, Texas. It is distributed as part of the dues to all members. The Society holds regular meetings the fourth Wednesday in each of the following months: August, September, October, January, February, March, April, and May. In November, the meeting is held the third Wednesday. Meetings are held at Southside Place Club House, 3743 Garnet, Houston, Texas. Meetings begin at 8:00 p.m. The Texas Conchologist is published October, February, and June. It is mailed postpaid to regular members in U.S. postal zones. Overseas members will be charged additional postage. Only one copy will be mailed to a family membership. Dues extend from the beginning of the fiscal year of June 1 through May 31. However, the July issue of the Texas Conchologist each year is the fourth quarterly due on the regular dues year beginning June 1 of the previous year. Memberships will be accepted throughout the year but will receive quarterlies of that fiscal year. Members receive meeting Newsletters and have all other privileges provided by the Society's by-laws. Rates and Dues Family membership $12.00 Single membership $10.00 Student membership $6.00 Single Issues $2.50 Extra sets mailed to members $10.00 (Postage for overseas members required) Subscription $12.00 (Seamail $5.00, Airmail outside U.S. $8.00) Editor Distribution Editorial Advisor Darwin Alder Gary Olson Constance E, Boone 5415 Dickson St, 3706 Rice Blvd. Houston, Texas 77007 Houston, Texas 77005 (713) 880-5946 (713) 668-8252 Editorial Staff Helmer Ode 3319 Big Bend Dr. Austin, Texas 78731 (512) 452-7794 The Texas Conchologist accepts contributions for publication from amateurs, students, and professionals, subject to approval by the Editor. Manuscripts should be typed and double-spaced, and should be in the hands of the Editor the first day of the month preceding publication dates. Photos accompanying articles are welcomed. TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST Vol. XXX No. 2, May 1994 SEARCH AND SEIZURE BY CONSTANCE BOONE TO SHELL OR NOT TO BE There seems to be a big debate going on in Sanibel, the well-known island on West Florida often referred to as the "Shell Capitol of the United States.” There is a push on to ban all live collecting of shells. The City of Sanibel has already passed an ordinance to do this. However, this will have to be approved by the State of Florida Marine Fisheries Commission before the ordinance can be enforced. This could take two years, according to Nan Hall, of the Sanibel-Captiva Shell Club. This new ordinance replaces the one we have been familiar with which allowed two live shells a day to the visitor with no restriction on collection of dead shells. The ban has been also on taking of live sand dollars, urchins and starfish. In addition, you have needed a license to do any of this in Florida. The sponsors and proponents of the new ordinance say that shells, etc. are disappearing from Sanibel at an alarming rate. They state that the thousands of tourists a year at Sanibel depart with thousands of shells, including too many live-taken ones. Even if they do not depart with the live-taken ones, the statements indicate some people feel many animals are taken and allowed to die and not used at all, even in collections. Sanibel's tourist industry has been fed importantly by visitors coming to see the beaches and sometimes to collect the pretty shells they can't find at home. It is a favorite vacation spot for families which have come there through generations. | hear it here quite a bit myself. People in Houston have condominiums there and rent them to others. | myself have a daily reminder of my second trip to Sanibel when | gath- ered buckets of colorful beach shells which are glued now to a mirror in my home. And, yes, on that trip | did go collecting for live shells in the bay and on the beaches. | remember some of them quite vividly as they were the first | had found of the species. They are cataloged in my early collec- tion. | was an avid collector, enthralled with the joys of my hobby of shell collecting. 33 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST Vol. XXX No. 2, May 1994 That's what visitors to Sanibel have looked forward to for many years. The world is changing. We live in a world of regard for all animals. Sometimes it is understandable; sometimes some of us find it hard to understand. | have no vote in Florida. | do not know what banning all live collecting will do to the amount of visitors. There will be some disappointment. There may be an impact on the businesses handling shells and related sea life. Some Sanibel residents will not care; others will voice strong protests. This Spring, once again, the successful shell show sponsored each year by the club on Sanibel brought thousands to the island. There is a new shell museum being built to entertain and educate visitors. All this is re- lated to Sanibel's famous shelling history. Will this mean that the recre- ation of the island will be limited to attendance to view displays? Will the hobby of shell collecting become extinct? Sanibel seems to me to be quite different from the State of California. The ban on collecting live shells there, except for food mollusks with limits and the need for a license, went into effect in 1972. I'm sure thare was some hue and cry, but the state was protecting the lush tide pools along the coastline, and this seems to have been accepted. The education to look at the animals in the tide pools has worked, and thousands of students get to enjoy them every year. | don't believe it has kept visitors from coming to California. Certainly, every one of us would approve the banning of collection of any species that seems to be disappearing. We have been pleased to know that the ban to collect live Strombus gigas has given the species time to recover in Florida waters. This is a major food source, and the species has been protected or limited in many Caribbean islands also. Visitors to Florida also have learned to keep their hands off of the trees where they see the beautiful Liguus tree snails. Except under controlled conditions, these snails are protected in Florida. | suspect the recent hur- ricane damaged more than man ever has, but this snail has some distinct forms that develop on separate hummocks and it is wise to protect them. If you are going to ban collecting and you expect shellers to become birders who just look and record, there will have to be a reeducation and more emphasis on actually showing the live mollusk. | rejoiced in seeing the marvelous displays at the Monterey Aquarium. | know that we don't want 34 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST Vol. XOX No. 2, May 1994 to kill birds to enjoy them. Maybe we have to learn to look. Certainly, this is what | advocate to classes at the Houston Museum when they visit the beach. However, so far, we also teach them to collect and preserve the mollusks and what such a collection could mean eventually to a museum. Dr. Tucker Abbott, director of the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum being built at Sanibel, has long maintained the view that mollusks do not disapear by casual collecting. The museum does not have a stand on the new ordinance. He says, however, that "the pendulum has swung so far in the religious aspect of conservation" that it has resulted in "fanatic faith with- out any understanding of biological aspects." He believes the matter should be determined by fisheries experts. In our state, | have recently become alarmed at what the fisheries people are telling me, with statistics to back it up, about the fresh water mussels in our streams. What seemed plentiful to me in the 1970s seems no longer true. The streams have sometimes been changed, industry has polluted some, and there seem to be fewer animals available to researchers who still need to make tests to determine the species in what we do find. More and more fresh water areas are being closed to collecting of mussels as a result. Most of the restrictions are due to the commercial aspect of collect- ing mussels, but it applies to you and me. There is also a collection permit and license needed to do any work. You and | have enjoyed the world of collecting mollusks and warmed our souls with the beauty of the shells. Yes, | do know that in the past | have taken too many of a species and surely didn't need them. | am afraid, however that | will ALWAYS remember the first time | could collect hun- dreds of live Epitonium angulatum. It was on a Memorial Day Holiday to San Luis Pass when | found them in worm goop near the bridge. | gath- ered discarded paper cups tp pick them up. | still have specimens left from another glorious visit to a beach. Mildred Tate and | found one day on Bryan Beach hundreds and hundreds of Te/lina alternata, stranded and fresh dead. | don't want to say one of you couldn't ever enjoy that same kind of treat. Man has destroyed more by changing habitats of animals that he has by collecting, | believe. | don't believe | have ever wiped out a population of animals. | do want the mollusks to survive my generation. Observance of common sense rules and education of what these marvellous animals are should help. Let's join in that philosophy, at least. 35 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST Vol. XXX No. 2, May 1994 In Search of the Amaea Mitchelli by Darwin Alder It is cold and dreary, early inthe morning. The remnants of the night mists still enshroud the scenery. There is a glow from the headlights of the occasional oncoming vehicle. Bridges are crossed, highway intersections come and go. The next to the last stop is the ferry landing at Port Aransas. It is still not full light, but there is a pink glow in the eastern sky, symbolizing the promise of the sun, and perhaps a coveted and highly prized shell. A ticket to adventure is purchased. Appropriate gear is assembled and carried to the craft. The captain arrives, takes the ticket and conveys his human cargo, full of hope, to San Jose Island, one of the jewels of the Texas Coast. Hope rises as the craft makes landing. The hopeful humans depart for the juncture of land and sea. It is now light enough to make out the drift along the shoreline. Sometimes it is good, sometimes it is bad- today, it is wonderful. Beach Drift--that agglomeration of wave washed and tossed flotsam and jetsam. It contains old shell material, worm casings,soft corals, twigs, and the possibility of great rewards. Our shell collectors begin their walk. It is an odd way of walking. They move at a snails pace, back and forth, back and forth. They are constantly saluting, back and forth, back and forth. Fingers extend, and eyes light up with a combi- nation of happiness, wishfulness, longing, and avarice. They kick among the drift, hoping to unmask hidden treasures. An hour passes, then another and another. Heaving huge sighs, our seekers look long- ingly forward, down at the ground, and at their timepieces. They must decide! Crab-like in their walk, they turn around and head back. Their bags are full of treasures like diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sap- phires (you get the picture). They are still searching for the Pearl of Great Price. Heads start to hang in disappointment, a look of sorrow and resignation clouds their countenances. They are approaching the final hour. 36 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST Vol. X}OCX No. 2, May 1994 One of them says out loud, to the others. "It looks like it won't happen today." All of the others agree. Despondent, discouraged, downtrodden, desolate, diminished, doubtful, and deprived, they decide to depart. Suddenly, one of the searchers stops, stands still, and yells with de- light. Can it be? Itis! An Amaea mitchelli. Holding his prize aloft, our sheller is exulting in the find of the day. Out of nowhere a half-crazed scream silences the joy, a hand sweeps up, and seizes the prize... AUUUGHHHHHHH moans the victim, as the thief runs off...... Darwin wakes up, to his everlasting joy, realizes it is just a dream, the scream is his alarm clock, it is 1:30 a.m. and time for his own personal rendezvous, at San Jose Island. | hope that we all can contribute to a series of articles on Shelling in Texas. These articles will describe, or at least name, the major loca- tions and shells that can be found in Texas. If the response is good, we will try to keep a list of the shells that have been found, their loca- tion and whether they were dead, fresh dead, or live collected. 37 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST Vol. XXX No. 2, May 1994 MONOGRAPH By H. Ode' Distribution and Records of the Marine Mollusca in the Northwest Gulf Of Mexico (A Continuing Monograph: Superfamily Pyramidelloidea, Family Pyramidellidae Part Ill ) Genus Ivara Dall and Bartsch, 1903 Minute shells with feebly developed axial ribbing usually crossed by even feebler spiral lirations. Some species have tabulated whorls. In the N.W. Gulf of Mexico only one species. 494. Ivara sp. indet. A. This is a very rare shell of which only two specimens were obtained. It has very weak crowded axial ribbing, crossed by even weaker spirals. The body whorl makes up for at least three fifths of the total length of this elongate shell. The nucleus is perched high on top and the columellar plica is only weakly developed. The suture is deep but the sum- mits of the whorls are not tabulated. This character is men- tioned by Dall and Bartsch (1909) in their definition of the genus. Both survey specimens are considerably different in aspect but belong undoubtedly to the same species. One is somewhat worn and is_ sketched here; the other specimen is fresh and gives the appearance of being a more juvenile specimen. Records HMNS survey collection: one lot from 8 fms, 32 miles ESE of Galveston, Tex (See sketch); another from 30 feet at the end of the Galveston jetties, probably collected alive. Max. size: 1.2mm. Geographical range: Unknown. E PA: Ivara terricula Dall and Bartsch, is related but not the same. Genus Amoura de Folin, 1876. Considerable uncertainty exists about the naming of three species of Amoura. |n 1909 Bartsch described one of the species as /olaea from New England. Another closely related-if not the same species-was later reported as Kleinella/Leucotina nordmanni from the Miocene of 38 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST Vol. X1XX No. 2, May 1994 Denmark and Western Europe. (See Sorgenfrei, 1958; Anderson, 1964; Nowlseck, 1972). Nether/lolaea, which has strong spiral keels, nor Kleinella, whose type looks quite different fits the character of these shells. Still another similar species was classified by Bartsch, 1955 as Evalea, another incorrect assignment. The Texas species are thin shelled, have almost always a wide umbi- licus and a deeply immersed nucleus. The sculpture consists of ex- ceedingly fine incrementals and closely spaced very fine spirals, es- pecially on the periphery. For lack of better information this material is reported here under the generic label adopted by Abbott (1974). Simi- lar species were described by Thiele, 1925 from East Africa (Menestho orientalis and Menestho aequatorialis) and Etheridge and Bell, (See Bell, 1893) reported Menestho basistriata from the Pliocene of Great Britain. 495 Amoura c. f. hendersoni Bartsch, 1909. Odostomia (lolaea) hendersoni Bartsch, 1909; Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. 34 (4), p. 101, pl. 13, fig. 43. One part of the survey material is closely related to the above species, but curiously enough, some of it resembles the figure of Kleinella (Leucotina) nordmanni Sorgenfrei described from the Miocene of Denmark somewhat better than the figure of Jolaea hendersoni reproduced in Abbott (1974) (fig. 3616). The aperture is typical, somewhat elon- gate and ending in a sharp corner above. There is a wide umbilicus, the columellar tooth is invisible and the nucleus totally immersed. The species has rarely been found in beach drift (Matagorda and San Luis Pass) and has been dredged on Heald Bank, off Galveston and Freeport, and on Claypile and Stetson Banks. Records HMNS survey collection: 14 lots from 0-67 fms., of which 2 contain live collected material (25-30 fms.) Max. size 2.5 mm. Geographic range: "South Cape Cod, Massachusetts”. (Abbott, 1974). E.P.A.: The only Amoura listed by Keen (1971), for the Panamic fau- nal province is quite different. 39 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST Vol. XXX No. 2, May 1994 496. Amoura emeryi Bartsch, 1955. Odostomia (Evalea) emeryi Bartsch, 1955; Smith. Misc. Coll. Vol 25 (2), p. 84, pl. 17, fig. 1. This species resembles the more slender A. hendersoni and obviously is closely related. It has the same peripheral spi- rals, the open umbilicus, and only in rare cases shows a columellar plica. In general, it is a more conical, fatter spe- cies with more evenly increasing whorls, less deep suture and a some what more open umbilicus. This is exclusively a bay species which appeared abundantly in the dredge samples from Matagorda Bay; also obtained along the Aransas Pass Causeway and from Churchell Bayou at Cold Pass (Galveston Bay System), once from beach drift on Matagorda Beach. Records HMNS Survey Collection: 14 lots from 0-2 fms, no live col- lected material. Max size: 2.6 mm. Geographical range: Described from the Pliocene of St. Petersburg, Florida. E.P.A.: Not determined. 497. Amoura sp. indet A. Two lots of a possible third species were obtained: one from the mudlump fauna, and the other from offshore Freeport, at 25 fms. It is a rather swollen form, with deep sutures and a large initial whorl. More material is needed for a better evalu- ation. Records HMNS: 2 lots, one collected at the surface of an exposed mudlump, the other in 25 fms off Freeport, Tex. Max. size: 1.6 mm. Geographic range: Unknown. E. P. A. Not determined. Genus Jordaniella Chaster, 1898. 40 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST Vol. XXX No. 2, May 1994 This small genus was created for a small North Atlantic species Turbo nivosus Montagu. See Proc. Royal Irish Acad., Ser. 3, Vol. 5 (1), 1898. It was unnecessarily emended to Jordanula Chaster, 1901 (Journ. of Conch., Vol 10(8)) because of the presumed preoccupation by Jordanella (a fish). The species belonging to it are "cylindric-conic, with deeply immersed nucleus; deep suture; 2-3 spiral grooves below the periphery. Columellar plica is weak" (after Nordsieck, 1972). In the N.W. Gulf of Mexico, there is a single species. 498. Jordaniella sp. indet A. Six lots, each of only a few specimens, of this quite differ- ent minute species were obtained in offshore waters. The species is less than 2 mm. in length and has about three whorls, a minute umbilicus, a circular aperture, in which for so small a shell a columellar plica is clearly visible. The suture is rather deep because of the inflation of the whorts; the nucleus is deeply immersed and because of that deeply pitted. This is either the same (probably not) or a close equivalent of the North Atlaniic Jordaniella nivosa Mont. It is probably the same as Eulimastoma sp. of Cosgan 1967, p.239, pl.10, fig. 7. Records HMNS survey collection: 8 lots from 24 -70 fms, one of which contains live collected material (24 fms.). Dead from Claypile Bank (30 fms.); off Galveston (24 & 32 fms.) and off Port Aransas (70 fms.), and one lot from Matagorda Beach has 3 full whoris but measures only .& mm. Max. size: 1.3 mm. Geographical range: Unknown. E.P.A.: Jordaniella is not known from the Panamic faunal province. Genus, Liostonica G. O. Sars, 1878. This is another small odostomid genus that is quite rare in the survey material. Liostonica occurs mainly in the North Atlantic (type Rissoa ebumia Stimpson, 1851) and the Mediterranean. Thiele (1925) has described a species from the Agulhas Bank of the southern tip of Af- rica. Kobelt, 1905 has given an excellent definition (See also Nordsieck, 1972). Probably the genus is world wide, but because of its very minute size and life in deeper water it has seldom been collected. The only 41 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST Vol. XXX No. 2, May 1994 specimens in the survey collection are doubtfully assigned to it. 499. Liostonica (7?) sp. indet A. The only three specimens obtained in the survey agree fairly well with the definition of this genus but are somewhat cor- roded. Both have a single slight chord-like ridge at the top of the whorl; a plica is not visible. The nucleus is small and of the immersed type; there is no shell ornamentation. One speci- men was collected from shell grit on the jetty of Point Bolivar. Another came from off Freeport in 25 fms. and the third from 11 fms off Galveston.. Records HMNS survey collection: 3 lots, no live collected material. Max. size:+/- 1.0 mm. Geographical range: Unknown. E. P. A.: Not known from the Panamic faunal province. Genus Careliopsis Morch, 1875. This slender genus usually has been placed in the Turbonillinae, where it does not belong. There probably exists a relationship with Evalina Dall and Bartsch, 1904, because juvenile Careliopsis are very close to Evalina. The shell figured as Evalina intermedia Carpenter by Keen (1971), not 1974 is | believe a juvenile Careliopsis. Another species of Careliopsis in the survey collection has the typical plications of E. americana, which peter out before they reach the periphery. There is a large perched nucleus. De Jong and Coomans (1988), have placed two species of Ebala in Careliopsis. 500. Careliopsis styliformis (Morch, 1875). Monoptygma (Careliopsis) styliformis Morch, 1875; Malek-Blatt, 1875 (1874), p. 169. This species is fairly widespread over the Texas shelf. This is a long slender species, not white as Abbott states, but light brown as are many species in a muddy environment. The only sculpture consists of fine, closely spaced spiral striations. Figure 3873a in Abbott (1974), depicts this survey material exactly. Juvenile specimens without the last 4 whorls of 42 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST Vol. XXX No. 2, May 1994 mature specimens resemble small Evalina closely. On sandy mud bottoms off Galveston and Freeport; also from 2 Miocene shale banks; Claypile and Stetson. One lot from 36 fms on algal bottom near Cameron (LA). Records HMNS Survey Collection: 9 lots from 8-36 fms of which 2 lots contain live-collected material [ 9 fms off Heald Bank and 24 fms off Freeport]. Max size: 3.7 mm. Geographical range: "Florida to the Virgin Islands" (Abbott, 1974). E.P.A.: Careliopsis stenogyra Dall and Bartsch., 1909; "San Hippolita Point, Baja California (type locality), through the Gulf of California and south to Bahia Honda, Panama". (Keen, 1971). To be noted is that Abbott (1974) figures C. styliformis by the same figure as Keen (1971) uses for C. stenogyra. 501. Careliopsis sp. indet A. In the survey material is another species equally long as C. Styliformis, but having another much lighter color and strong radial plications near the suture, which peter out before they reach the periphery. The first part of this species, of which a single specimen is available, looks exactly as Evalina americana Dall and Bartsch, 1904, but its nucleus is quite different. That of E. americana is said to be "three-quarters obliquely immersed" while the nucleus of sp. A is perched on top of the post nuclear whorls. Records HMNS survey collection: 1 lot, no live material, from 25-50 feet on a small lump, 1 1/2 mile off Padre Island, 35 miles north of Port Isabel. Max. size 3.8 mm. Geographic range: Unknown. E.P.A.: This species resembles juvenile (except for nucleus) Evalina americana Dall and Bartsch, 1904. (San Pedro, Califomia to Coronado Islands). Genus Ebala Leach (in Gray, 1847). This genus belongs to a group of shells, which probably ought to be 43 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST Vol. XXX No. 2, May 1994 considered separately, and which are not odostomids. In the literature they are often related to the genus Eulimella, and in Vaught (1988) Ebala is even considered as a subgenus of Eulimella. It is probable that Eba/a with such genera as Bacteridium Thiele, 1929, Saccoina Dall and Bartsch, 1904, some Australian genera created by Laseron and perhaps some Eocene material from a quite separate group. Most species are needle shaped, extremely minute, lack a plica, are finely spirally striated and have a large perched nucleus. The type of Ebala is the European. E. nitidissima. Anisocycla Monterosato is a synonym because it was defined with the same type. There are various types of shapes: Ebala and Bacteridium have some- what tabulated and flattened whorls. Saccoina (Bacteridiella may be a synonym) has inflated whorls and a deep suture. Pseudochileutoma Friedberg may be the same as are some Terelimella from Australia. Among the many genera used are some that also have somewhat obliquely immersed nuclei and several genera such as Koloonella and Stylopsis are difficult to place. There can be little doubt that the survey material belongs in Ebala. These are extremely minute needle-shaped gastropods and their distinction from Bacteridium is not clear. Saccoina Dall and Bartsch is much more inflated and deeper sutured. 502. Ebala resticula Dall, 1889. Eulimella (Stylopsis) resticula Dall, 1889.; Bull. Mus. Com. Zool., Vol. 8, p. 338; no figure. Recent Florida. A few lots of this minute, light horn colored, species -well figured by de Jong and Coomans (1988), but labeled Careliopsis octona Guppy,-are present in the survey collection. Ebala resticula is even more needle shaped than true Careliopsis and its whorls are some what shouldered so that any whorl seems to envelop the previous one. The shell is finely striated, Aguayo and Rehder (1936) de- scribed as Turbonilla (Careliopsis) bartschi from Cuba, and it also may be the same as Turbonilla (Stylopsis) octona Guppy, 1897 (in Dall and Guppy) described from the Miocene of Trinidad. Carne (1975) labelled it incorrectly Careliopsis bermudensis Dall and Bartsch 1911 (Yucatan). It must be noted that Ebala is not related at all to Careliopsis. 44 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST Vol. XXX No. 2, May 1994 Of the survey material one lot was obtained from beach drift on Galveston West Beach, the other lots come from muddy sand off Galveston and Freeport, and one lot from off S.W. Pass, Mississippi Delta. Records HMNS survey collection: 6 lots from 0-110 fms; some small material looks fresh. This species is probably more common than our record indicates. Its cross section is so minute that it will pass through very fine sieves. Most of the survey material was almost accidentally picked out of fine sand. Max. size: 2.mm. Geographical range: Described from the Miocene of Trinidad (octona); recent in Curacao (de Jong and Coomans), Cuba (Aguayo and Rehder) and Florida (Dall). E.P.A.: Not mentioned in Keen (1971) but because the Genus is world- wide it probably will also turn up in the Panamic faunal province. 503. Ebala bermudensis Dall and Bartsch, 1911. Turbonilla (Carelopsis) bermudensis Dall and Bartsch, 1911; Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., Vol. 40 (1820), p. 279, pl. 35, fig. 4. Bermuda The survey has only a single juvenile and a slightly defec- tive specimen. It is clearly different from similarly sized specimens of resticula because the whorls are larger and more inflated. The scarce survey material fits the figure of de Jong and Coomans (1988, pl 21, no. 681). The outer sculpture of the first post nuclear whorl shows under high magnification a slightly cancellate pattern. Records HMNS survey collection: 2 lots; one from 26 fms off Galveston on a sandy mud bottom, probably live collected. Max. size: 1 mm. Geographical range: Bermuda; Curacao (de Jong and Coomans, 1988). E.P.A.: Ebala has not been reported for the Panamic faunal province. Genus Evalea A. Adams, 1860. 45 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST Vol. XXX No. 2, May 1994 Only a single species in the survey is considered Evalea. This differs somewhat from Eulimastoma and related genera in shape and struc- ture of the nucleus. There is only a small columellar plica which ends deep within the aperture. Not included in Evalea here are those odostomids which belong to the Eulimastoma goniodostoma group of species, many of which show, especially when fresh spiral striations. Such species as “Odostonica" virginica Henderson and Bartsch and Odostonica pocahontasae Henderson and Bartsch are eulimastomid and completely unrelated to Evalea. The type Odetta elegans de Folin is unknown to me. It was renamed E. callipyrga by Dall and Bartsch, 1909 who gave an abominable fig- ure (from de Folin?) of it. It is thus impossible to verify its proper place. 504. Evalea sp. indet. A. Only a single quite characteristic specimen was obtained. It is of a very regular shape and looks similar to the Pacific E. tenuisculpta. The specimen can immediately be distin- guished from the spirally striate eulimastomas because its nucleus is very different. Although immersed, it is very small and no pit is formed at the top of the shell. Also the aperture is more or less oval, ending in a sharp point at the body whorl. Most character- istic is the suture, which is shallow, quite different from the often V-shaped suture of eulimastonid species. Records HMNS survey collection: One lot from 25 fms. off Freeport, Texas; no live material. Max. size: 2.3mm. Geographical range: Unknown. E. P.A.: Evalea tenuisculpta Carpenter, 1864, from California is not mentioned by Keen (1971) but 12 other species are listed several of which probably are synonyms of each other. To be Continued... 46 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST Vol. XXX No. 2, May 1994 Fig. 1 Egila(?) so. indet B 1 mm., Heald Bank at 45 ft. (discussed in Vol. XXX, No. 1) Fig.2 Kunopia sp. indet A From bottom sample by diver at 24 fms. Lump. First report for the Western Atlantic (discussed in Vol. XXX, No. 1) 47 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST Vol. XXX No. 2, May 1994 Fig. 3 Ivara sp. indet A 1.2mm., 8 fms, 32 mi ESE of Galveston, Texas. Fig. 4 Am h rsoni 25 fms. off Freeport, Texas 2.2mm 48 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST Vol. XXX No. 2, May 1994 Fig. 5 Amoura emeryi Old Aransas Pass Causeway, at bridge very wide umbilicus. 2.3 mm. Fig. 6a Juvenile Jordaniella sp. indet A 32 fms off Galveston (left) Fig. 6b off Port Aransas in 70 fms.(right) 49 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST Vol. XXX No. 2, May 1994 Fig. 7 Liostonica(?) sp indet A From shell grit at Point Bolivar Jetty Fig. 8 Evalea sp. indet A 25 fms. off Freeport; 2.3 mm; Columella tooth well inside aperture 50 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST Vol. XXX No. 2, May 1994 The Case of the Expanding Brief by Mary Martin In the beginning, there were the duties of refreshment chair- man. Those duties required carrying the necessary refresh- ment supplies and ice to meetings, arriving early to set up, and then storing those supplies. Soon, corresponding secretary duties seemed to necessitate adding an attache’ case to those supplies carried to monthly meetings. At that time, the secretarial duties were not that large and | could add a few personal items to that attache’ case, so that | did not have to carry a purse to meetings...but there were two large boxes being stored in my home that held all of the past newsletters and correspondence, and the club type- writer. Eventually, the refreshment chairman duties could be passed along with the supplies. Then the secretarial boxes were passed on to another secretary. | became the treasurer and the attache’ case was getting even fuller. A cash box was added and an expanding folder so that the monies could be kept separate. When the treasury was passed on, | became club president, aka the pack horse. | now have to empty the attache’ case before meetings just to be able to carry it. The case has not been zipped in about five years; it is always overflowing. The club sound system has been added to those items being stored at home and carried to meetings. | will only briefly mention the four T-shirt boxes that were in my entry hall for a few weeks, the auction items for HCS and COA, and the small amount of supplies now that | am Membership chairman. SOON!, | will be able to pass on the sound system, and the attache’ case will be emptied. | look forward to attending club functions with nothing more than my purse in hand, and arriv- ing on time..not 1-2 hours early. Of course, | have failed to mention the large box of banquet decorations 51 TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST Voi. XXX No. 2, May 1994 being stored under a bed in my home. It probably is a permanent fixture. Even though this note seems to have been written in a negative tone, it was not! | would not trade the time spent as an Officer of the Houston Conchology Society. There have been nu- merous sleepless nights, but, all in all, | have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Shelling in Texas by Darwin Alder February 6, 1994 | left for the Galveston side of San Luis Pass, to take advantage of a_ -.07 lowtide. There were mud flats exposed that | had never visited before. There were many Mulinia on the edge of the water, with trails formed by Terebra, Polinices, Thais, Busycon, and Oliva. It was a veritable paradise of shells. | walked out on the flats, but on my return, | got soaked. | met Betty Bickham and Dean Woodard from the Brazoria Club. We found Busycon perversum pulleyi, Sinum perspectivum, Polinices duplicatus, and Acteon punctostriatus, all live. | moved down the Pass to explore an area where there is usually a good assortment of worm goop. | was not disappointed, and ended up with over 100 live and fresh dead Epitonium angulatum. | also found some Tellina alternata. | have found over the years many good shells in beach drift. | take some drift whenever | can. Many of the smaller species in Texas are only obtainable in this way. 52 HOUSTON CONCHOLOGY SOCIETY, INC. Officers 1993-1994 President: Mary Martin Program Vice-President: Darwin Alder Field Trip Vice-President: Dave Barziza Treasurer: Cheryl Hood Recording Secretary: Marian Jordan Corresponding Secretary: Dave Green Directors Rod Norman Steve Browning Connie Boone Angela Doucette Luana Huggins Carl Vartian Immediate Past President: Jean Holman Editor, Texas Conchologist: Richard M. Yuill Honorary Life Members Constance E. Boone Dr. Helmer Odé TEXAS CONCHOLOGIST Vol. XXX No. 2, May 1994 Table of Contents Search and Seizure To Shell or Not To Be by Constance BOOne ....:.....0c.ccicsis, besersactanemeaee In Search of the Amaea Mitchelli by Darwin Ald@n occ... cscs. Jneeeotscitearaceci eee ee Distribution and Records of the Marine Mollusca in the Northwest Gulf of Mexico (A Continuing Monograph} by Helmer Ode ois. ociceae a rae The Case of the Expanding Brief by Mary Maftin: © ....ccccccau eee Shelling in Texas by Darwin Alder .c0ii...cccc.6c casi coe ee ieceence ee