FAQ PAGE 5
This Page contains following topics : Species Versus Form ? Space filler Price & Rarity of shells
What causes the holes in bivalve shells? Getting the smell out of a Seafan
Species Versus Form ?
(Original
Forum Question : Is Conus bocki a form of Conus sulcatus
? The book Shells of the Philippines says it is a separate distinc
species (previously thought to be a form of sulcatus) but The
Manual of the Living Conidae shows it as a form of Conus sulcatus.
Which is correct ?)
There
is really no way to definitively answer such a question. A taxonomic
placement is not an absolute that can be precisely determined, like
the formula of a chemical compound. Rather, it is the considered opinion
of a taxonomist, based on his/her subjective interpretation of whatever
objective evidence is available. Sometimes a given placement finds
favor with the majority of authors. Other times one author interprets
the evidence differently from another, or places greater weight on
certain kinds of evidence than another, resulting in conflicting opinions
regarding the proper placement. Since this is how all taxonomic assignments
are made, and since there is no objective standard against which to
measure such carefully considered opinions, one cannot dogmatically
state that one opinion is "wrong" and the other is "right".
We can consider the apparent relative expertise of the individuals
offering such competing opinions, and decide which one inspires the
greater level of confidence. Or we can state which opinion is currently
accepted by the majority of experts; but that still is not an absolute
indicator of "correct" vs. "incorrect".
(Answer by M. Paul Monfils via the Forum)
Space filler
(I
have been checking some shells list of certain dealers and in some
ocassions I have seen a shell described: "Space filler";
does anybody knows actually what it means?, it is a kind of restoration?.
well, that is the question: I will appreciate any answer...)
It means that the shell,
though it is not the quality you might want, can "fill the
space" of that missing species in your collection until a better
specimen comes along. (Answer
by M. Paul Monfils via the Forum)
Price & Rarity of
shells
(THIS
MESSAGE IS ALL ABOUT THE STATISTICS OF CYPRAEA GUTTATA AND AURANTIUM
REGARDING THIER ABUNDANCE. FRANKLY SPEAKING, CYPRAEA AURANTIUM'S STATUS
DURING THIS TIME WOULD BE RELATIVELY COMMON, WHILE CYPRAEA GUTTATA'S
STATUS IS UNCOMMON. BUT WHY DOES NEARLY ALL DEALERS PRICE THIER AURANTIUM
AND GUTTATA HIGH ABOVE THE PRICE LIST? THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE SHELLS
HISTORY AS A GREAT RARITY BACK THEN. YES IT'S TRUE THAT GUTTATA IS
A DEEP - WATER SPECIE, BUT AURANTIUM IS A SHALLOW WATER SPECIE, AND
MUCH COMMON TOO. SO, WHY DOES THE SHELL HAVE NEARLY THESAME PRICE?
SUPPOSEDLY, THE APPROVABLE PRICE OF A 100mm AND GEM AURANTIUM SHOULD
BE $50-60.00, AND FOR A GUTTATA, A 50mm GEM FOR $65-70.00.. I JUST
DON'T KNOW WHY DEALERS TEND TO EXAGERATE THIER PRICES FOR THIS TWO
SHELLS, PROBABLY BECAUSE OF THE EXPENSE OF TRAVELING JUST GETTING
THIS SPECIES. I KNOW A DEALER THAT EVEN SELLS A GEM AND 55MM GUTTATA
FOR ONLY $65.00. WHAT A BARGAIN)
The price of anything
depends on the interplay of both supply and demand. As you correctly
stated, there is a good supply of both these species. Neither of
them is a great rarity (though gem specimens of aurantium are probably
as uncommon as gem specimens of guttata. C. aurantium is much more
susceptible to damage and resultant growth scars than C. guttata
is, due to its more hostile reef habitat). However, what keeps the
price relatively high for these species - higher than for other
equally uncommon species - is not so much a limited supply as the
great demand for perfect specimens. These are two shells that virtually
every collector craves, and the prices reflect that fact. (Answer
by M. Paul Monfils via the Forum)
What causes the holes in bivalve shells?
(What
causes the holes in shells? I collected shells on a South Carolina
beach last week. Some are solid (halves) and some have a single very
uniform hole on one end. Thanks!)
Such holes are caused
by predatory snails, usually in the family Naticidae (commonly called
"moon snails"). These snails regularly feed on bivalve
mollusks like clams, mussels and oysters. They use their radula,
a sort of tongue covered with tiny toothlike projections, to rasp
a hole in the bivalve shell, allowing them to insert their proboscis
and feed on the soft parts of the bivalve. (Answer
by M. Paul Monfils via the Forum)
Getting the smell out of a Seafan
(I
recently returned from a trip to Cancun, and we were given a Seafan
by a man who wanted to thank us for showing him this great spot to
find shells. We brought all of our lovely shells home and they are
scattered throughout my house to remind me of the wonderful turquoise
water and coral sand.The Seafan, on
the other hand, is sitting outside in 30-40 degree temperatures due
to it having a very strong odor. It has been outside for a month now
and it still stinks! Does anyone have any ideas on what to do with
this otherwise lovely creature?)
The ideal treatment
would be to soak the specimen in formalin (formaldehyde solution)
for a couple of days, followed by soaking in alcohol, followed by
drying. However, in the event you don't have access to formalin,
or are not familiar with its use, just soaking in alcohol should
help. "Rubbing alcohol" from the pharmacy is suitable.
Sometimes they have rubbing alcohol that is 90% concentration. If
so, that would be better than the 70% solution more often seen.
Depending on the size of the seafan, you will need some sort of
large flat container wide enough to allow the specimen to lie flat,
and deep enough to hold sufficient alcohol to cover the specimen.
If the specimen floats, put a weight on it to keep it submerged.
After 24 hours or more in the alcohol you should discard the alcohol
and cover the specimen with fresh alcohol for at least another 24
hours. It can stay in either alcohol solution much longer than 24
hours without harm if necessary. 24 hours is the minimum. However,
if the alcohol begins to take on the color of the seafan (if the
seafan is red for example, and the alcohol starts turning pink)
that indicates that some of the pigment of the seafan is dissolving
out. In that case, limit it to 24 hours in each alcohol, to avoid
losing any more color than necessary. Seafans often lose much of
their color anyway, once dried. Since yours is currently "refrigerated"
it probably hasn't lost much color yet. Some people color them after
they are dried by dying or spray paint of some kind. Once the specimen
has been soaked in both alcohol solutions, just take it out and
let it dry. If there is any residual odor while drying, it should
be gone once the spcimen is completely dried.
Some folks spray seafans
with lacquer or some sort of plastic spray to seal them and strenghthen
them. This however imparts an unnatural gloss to the specimen. To
seal and strengthen it without creating a glossy effect, there are
a couple of methods. One is a matte finish spray that can be purchased
at an art supply store. It is used, for example, to spray on charcoal
drawings to "fix" them so the charcoal won't smudge when
the drawing is handled. The other option is a mix of white glue
like Elmer's Glue-All or Sobo Glue in water, about 1 part glue to
9 parts water. Spray or brush it on, shake off the excess, and let
it dry. These coatings dry invisible but still seal the specimen
against moisture and strengthen it.
One last consideration
- if your specimen has a large "hold fast" attached at
the base (like a "root ball" on a plant), that may be
the source of most of the smell. Such a structure may contain many
small mollusks, crustaceans, marine worms, and other organisms which
collectively can produce quite an odor when dead. If that is the
case, you still may be able to squelch the odor by soaking, though
in this case longer soaking would be needed and formalin might be
necessary. Alternatively, much of the odor may be eliminated by
simply getting rid of the holdfast.
Note: Smells can be removed
from shells using bleach, but don't try this on a seafan. It will
destroy it. Good luck. (Answer
by M. Paul Monfils via the Forum)
