My primary interest is Florida micros. Those of you who collect micros in the field know just how numerous micros can be in a scoop off the bottom. I collect, freeze and examine at leisure when time permits. And, when I sort thru I don't like to see all the duplicates go to waste. So, I plop the extras in alcohol filled vials and from time to time offer them to collectors via Conch-L. This time, I'll use LTS. Each vial usually contains about 60 shells of many species. The ones I'm currently working with were collected in Key Largo, Florida Keys. The vials will become available over the next few months as I sort. I did some sorting today and have two vials about full.

Here are the conditions under which I usually offer the shells.

1. I ask recipients to send me a list of their identifications. Since we now have LTS, I'd request that you post your identifications within this topic (use reply button) so that everyone who gets a vial will be able to compare notes and get help making IDs.

2. I reserve the right to decide who gets the vials, and normally will not sent them overseas. In the past all domestic requestors received one; however, this time I do not have as much material as before.

Since 2001 I've sent vials of micros (from Tarpon Springs) to 37 collectors. If any of the past recipients are members of LTS and would like to comment, please do.

OK, in keeping with Marlo's #1 requirement, I'm going through the micros he sent and here's a list of what a quick look appears to reveal so far. Check back to this post as it'll be used as a MASTER LIST of everyone's ID's with updates, corrections and added images. This list is moderated by Marlo and the comments in blue are his based upon prior collections from this locale. Post your ID's and they'll be added to this MASTER LIST. Where there have been recent changes in genus names the older name has been included in parenthesis to aid recognition. Some of the ID names have been hot-linked to images of the same name on the web. Unless specifically identified as one of the Key Largo shells, none of the images are of the actual shells from the Key Largo lot. These links are meant only to facilitate IDs

Key: D = doubtful since previously not found there and not listed in Common and Scientific Names of Aquatic Invertibrates from the United States and Canada: Mollusks, 2nd Ed., 1998; SC = ID by scotto; GW = ID by gwatters; WW = ID by Wayne Wilson; DT = Dan Teven; HC = HerbC; MK = Marlo Krisberg; Matt = Matt; DY = Dan Yoshimoto

Update: 2/11/07

Assiminea succinea (HC; MK)
Astralium phoebium (DY)
Astyris lunata (SC) D
Atys caribaeus (WW)
Atys riiseanus (WW; DT)
Atys sharpi (GW: MK)
Batillaria minima (WW; HC: Matt)
Bittiolium varium (GW; DT; HC)
Bulla occidentalis (HC) Redfern treats B. occidentalis as a separate species from B. striata. However, many current workers still consider B. occidentalis to be a synonym for B. striata.
Bulla striata (SC; WW; DT; MK; Matt)
Bulla umbilicata (GW) Although Redfern follows DeJong & Coomans and treats B. striata as a Mediterranean species and the Florida/Caribbean as the separate species B. umbilicata, most current workers do not accept this perspective.
Caecum nitidum (MK)
Calotrophon ostrearum (GW; MK)
Cerithidae costata (GW; DT; MK)
Cerithiopsis gemmulosa (WW)
Cerithiopsis iontha (GW) D, consider gemmulosa, although we do have three unidentified Cerithiopsis from this locale
Ceritheum eburneum (SC; GW; WW; DT; HC; MK; DY)
Cerithium muscarum (WW; DY)
Cerodrilla thea (WW)
Cerodrilla sp. (GW; DT) compare to thea
Columbella rusticoides (SC; GW; WW; DT; HC; MK; Matt; DY)
Conus jaspedeus (GW; HC; Matt)
Conus stearnsii (SC; WW; DT; MK; DY)
Costoanachis scutulata (MK; HC) Scutulata and sparsa are very similar and, unfortunately, the most popular books fail to address scutulata. To distinguish the two, note that scutulata has a blunt looking protoconch composed of 1.5 - 1.75 brown, swollen whorls and sparsa's protoconch looks taller with its 2.5 - 3 white, less swollen whorls, sometimes with some brown coloration at the very tip
Costoanachis sparsa (DT) D, we've found none in the Keys. This is probably C. scutulata.
Costoanachis sp. (DT)
Crassispira fuscescens (WW)
Crassispira sp. - Juvenile (DT)
Crepidula convexa (DT) C. convex is now considered restricted to the New England coast only as far south as Georgia. The Florida species is C. ustulatulina Collin, 2002*. Since juvenile C. ustulatulina and C. maculosa are indistinguishable, we could be dealing with either or both. Go here to read more. *Collin, R. 2002. Another last word on Crepidula convexa and a description of C. ustulatulina sp. nov. (Gastropoda: Calyptraeidae) from the Gulf of Mexico. Bull. Mar. Sci. 70(1):177-184.
Crepidula maculosa (WW; MK; Matt; DY)
Cylindrobulla beauii (MK)
Dentimargo aureocinctus (GW; WW; DT; HC; MK; DY)
Dentimargo eburneolus (HC; MK)
Dentimargo reductus (MK)
Decipifus sixaolus (Redfern #416) (HC) Very doubtful. Probably Mitromica (Thala) foveata (Redfern #496, which Colin misidentified as Thala floridana and has since corrected on his website). Look at protoconchs.
Eulithidium affinis (WW; DT)
Eulithidium pterocladicum (MK)
Eulithidium thalassicola (GW; HC)
Fasciolaria tulipa (MK; DY)
Fasciolaria sp. (DT) This is most probably tulipa that was found there as live adults
Gibberula lavalleeana (SC; WW; DT)
Gibberula sp. (Redfern 471) (GW)
Granulina ovuliformis (GW) D, compare to hadria
Granulina hadria (SC; MK; DY)
Haminoea elegans (GW; HC; MK)
Haminoea solitaria (Matt) Abbott places solitaria along the NE coast south to North Carolina. We agree and so far consider the Florida species to be H. succinea.
Haminoea succinea (MK)
Hyalina pallida (HC)
Jaspidella blanesi (HC)
Lucapina sowerbii (MK)
Marshallora nichupte (MK)
Melanella conoidea (SC; WW; HC; MK)
Melanella jamaicensis (MK)
Mitromica (Thala) foveata (WW; MK)
Modulus carchedonius (WW; HC) D
Modulus modulus (SC; GW; DT; HC; DY)
Nassarius albus (WW)
Nassarius paucicostatus (GW; DT; HC; MK)
Odostomia (Sayella) laevigata (GW; WW; DT)
Odostomia sp. (DT)
Olivella acteocina (GW) D, compare to perplexa
Olivella perplexa perplexa (WW; DT; HC; MK)
Olivella pusilla (SC) Maybe, but compare to perplexa
Parvanachis obesa (WW)
Patelloida pustulata (MK)
Pedipes mirabilis (HC) Look closely, this may be Pedipes ovalis that we've verified from here. See Redfern #767.
Pedipes ovalis (MK)
Pilsbryspira leucocyma (SC; GW; DT; HC; MK; WW; Matt; DY)
Prunum apicinum (SC; GW; DT; HC; MK; Matt) More images
Prunum roosevelti (WW)
Prunum sp. (Redfern 447) (GW)
Pyrgocythara plicosa (SC; HC) D, this is probably Mitromica (Thala) foveata
Pyrgocythara sp. (HC)
Pyrospira ostrearum (GW; MK)
Pusia (Vexillum) gemmata (DT)
Rissoina angeli (WW)
Rissoina krebsii (HC)
Rissoina multicostata (GW; MK)
Schwartziella byerea (DT)
Schwartziella catesbyana (SC) Could be, compare to Rissoina multicostata
Seila adamsi (Matt)
Steironepion minor (HC) (Redfern #419) D, Probably Crassispira leucoyma (Redfern #530)
Stellatoma stellata (SC; GW; WW; DT; MK)
Tegula fasciata (DT; HC; MK; Matt)
Thala floridana (GW; Matt) Synonym for Mitromica (Thala) foveata
Triphora sp. (DT) Look at Marshallora modesta
Turbo castanea (GW; WW; DT; MK; DY)
Turbonilla sp. (SC)
Turritella acropora (DY)
Vermicularia knorrii (GW; HC)
Vermicularia spirata (WW; DT; DY)
Vexillum exiguum(HC: WW; Matt) hanleyi is a synonym
Vexillum gemmatum (GW)
Vitrinella floridana (MK)
Volarina albolineata (MK)
Volvarina avena (MK)
Volvarina avenacea (DT; MK)
Volvarina sp. A of Redfern (MK)
Zafrona dicomata (SC; GW; DT; HC; WW; MK; DY) Also see posts & images on page 3 of this topic.
Zafrona sp. (DT) See posts & images on pages 3 & 4 of this topic. Dan concluded these shells are Z. dicomata
Zebina browniana (SC; WW; DT; Matt) D, Most likely laevigata since we've documented only laevigata at this locale. The two are almost identical, except browniana's protoconch has 2.5 whorls and looks taller than laevigata's blunt looking 1.5 whorls More images of Zebina browniana
Zebina laevigata (GW; HC; MK)

BIVALVES
Barbatia cancellaria (WW; MK; Matt)
Cione elevata (GW; WW; DT; HC; MK; DY) Previously cancellata
Codakia orbiculata (CT; Matt; DY)
Codakia orbiculata form filiata (MK)
Glans dominguensis (GW; WW; DT; HC; Matt)
Laevicardium mortoni (MK)
Parastarte triquetra (DT)
Tellina mera (MK)

CHITONS
Ischnochiton papillosus (DT) Images are of shells from this lot.

Marlo: I'm still interested in a vial of your Florida Keys micros, if available. Again, my concentration until now has been strictly Sanibel micros, over 400 lots of which I've catalogued into the BMSM Sanibel collection. Thanks for your consideration.

Herb Chapin
1135 Sommerset Lane
Huron, OH 44839
--

:) Marlo,

First, thank you for introducing me to this forum. It looks great. I will check it daily, and contribute if I ever know anything to contribute, get better photos, etc.

I ceftainly agree to your terms and would do my best to identify the micros to the mutual benefit of all. That is a great idea. On the other hand, I understand that you may not be able to provide a vial to me, because of ovewhelming responses to your offer.

In any event, would you please give me some guidance on best ways for me to scoop up such accumulations myself, at the shore? I collected a bucket of beach driftline at one spot near Kumjin Harbor, Kangweon Province, Korea, and gleaned all the micros I could from that, over a couple of weeks. I did not use a microscope then, as I now do, so I undoubtedly missed some of the smallest. I used only a hand-held magnifier. If you are interested, I will give you a list of what I have ident ified among them, so far. I snorkel and occasionally put together the funds for diving, so I should be able to access some more concentrated, unbleached accumulations, if I knew how and where to look for them.

Thanks for your contributions to everyone, for considering my request, and - again - for introducing me to this wonderful site and the friendships I hope to develop and the knowledge I hope to develop through it.

Chuck Wilder

Marlo,

I am still interested in obtaining a vial for the Carnegie Museum. I can't promise that I will get around to identifying the specimens right away, however, the information will eventually be posted here if that is your desire.

Charlie

Hi Marlo,

I would like one of your vials of Florida Micros. I will comply with your wishes and make the necessary reports. I have never worked with micros to date but am looking forward to it.
I do have a disecting microscope.

Today is April 28. I just checked this topic and my personal messages and a total of nine Conch-Lers visited LTS and confirmed their interest in receiving the micros. I believe there will be enough material to be able to send a vial to all nine. Three will be sent today. The remainder will be sent as time permits me to defrost, go thru the dredge material and extract the shells.

When you have an opportunity to examine and identify the shells, it would be very much appreciated if you would reply within this topic (just open the first post and click on the button) and list your ID's. We'll use scotto's list as a master list and add your ID's to it so we'll have a composite of eveyone's opinions. Any comments, confirmation of ID's, other information or pictures about any of the species you'd like to present would be appreciated. The idea is to "Let's Talk Seashells."

Send me a PM (click below) if you have any questions about how to operate and do things within this forum. See also "Information & How To's for using this site" in the first category on the Forums page.

I note that several of you have not registered on LTS. I cannot send you emails or PM's (personal messages) about shipments or collecting data unless you are registered. Registration requires no personal data except your email address and affords you a lot more information and functions than simply being a visitor. To register click on "Portal" (right side top of this page) and under "Welcome Visitor," click on "register."

Here's a confirmed ID for one of the shells:
Zafrona dicomata (Dall, 1889)

Thank you for posting images of confirmed micros. This is very interesting and helpful.

Peggy Williams on her websight has posted a paper entitled " Key to Miniature Gastropods of the Americas". I find it very interesting. I don't know if Miniatures are the same as Micros however but am posting the address here so that others may take a look at the paper.
Peggy has also been kind enough to send me some comments on collecting Micros.

Matt

Peggy Williams' Webpage

Marlo, thanks for the vial that arrived today. I just gave them a quick rinse and set them out to dry; I won't have time to pick through them until this weekend. Nothing over 5 mm looks surprising, but the smaller stuff looks great.

Best find so far is a 2.5 mm chiton. I have nothing comparable in my collection, so it will be hard to ID. Anyone else find chitons? (Administrator's note: This chiton was eventually identified as Ischnochiton papillosus.)

Also, I wanted to ask about the acetone. I've never read about preserving shells in acetone before, but it seems to dehydrate and shrink the tissues, so it's pretty easy to tease the animals out. Is this a well-known technique? (Administrator's note: This question about acetone has been posted in a new topic under the category "Care & Feeding of Shell Collections." Please go to Acetone to reply to this question.)

Scotto, Wayne, gwatters and others when you post, would you identify the references you utilized in doing your ID's? It's understandable you may not want to identify a long list, but identifying at least the major references utilized would be helpful.

Scotto, Wayne and gwatters can do this by going to their prior posts, clicking the "edit" button and adding the references to the posts.

Thanks to all so far.

Wayne,

Thanks for such a quick post on so much material. I'm glad you enjoyed going through it. Could you take another look at Anachis sertulariarum and Parvanachis ostreicola. The habitat is wrong for the former and we've never found the latter in the Keys. Compare to Costoanachis scutulata (Reeve, 1859).

I'm also curious about Modulus carchedonius. I think the rest of us are calling this Modulus modulus. I can't find carchedonius as a synonym nor is it listed in Common and Scientific Names of Aquatic Invertibrates from the United States and Canada: Mollusks, 2nd Ed., 1998, American Fisheries Society Special Publication 26, Bethesda, Maryland.

Administrator's note: As a result of the above comments about the Modulus, there followed several posts on this subject. In order to keep this topic focused on the checklist, the posts regarding Modulus carchedonius vs Modulus modulus have been moved to its own topic. To read and contribute to the discussion Click here.

Marlo,

If you have more, I would still be interested in receiving some of the Florida micros. And, as expected, it will be my pleasure to post a list of what I encounter there indicating the references I use to id the shells.

Phil

Hi Marlo and everyone!
I have just joined this group and would like to say "hello"... I live on the west side of Florida on a barrier island named Manasota Key which is a few islands north of Sanibel... I enjoy trading shells of all kinds and meeting new shell collectors like myself...
I would like to have some of those micros shells, if any are left...
Thanking you in advance,
Shellhound...(LaVerne)

I'm just starting on my IDs, and I decided to do the columbellids first. I think I have as many as five species:

1) Columbella rusticoides (a full growth series of 10)

2) Zafrona dicomata (many) -- or are they? This is (allegedly) a picture of Mitrella dichroa (Sowerby I, 1844), which Malacolog says is a valid species. I can't tell the difference, but this seems to be the same shell Marlo photographed, and that we all have in our vials.

3) Costoanachis sparsa (Reeve, 1859) -- 2 specimens. These could also be sertulariarum.

4) Two specimens, the same size, shape, and sculpture as Z. dicomata, but with very atypical patterns. One is glossy white except for a single, narrow, dashed brown line around the periphery and some brown zigzags on the fasciole. The other is glossy yellowish white, with a single, thicker, line of squarish brown dots around the periphery, the same brown zigzags in the fasciole, and a hint of another line of brown dots at the suture. Lovely shells.

5) Another Costoanachis, smaller than sparsa and with darker brown markings that cover the shell more evenly. Several, only one of which is clearly adult.

The good news is that I have a digital camera and can post photos. The bad news is it's fairly troublesome to set it up to shoot micros, so I'm going to hold off until I have more shells to shoot.

This is a poor picture but anyone with an idea with this immature Key Largo Micro? Buccinidae? Fasciolariidae? This one has me stumped. Wayne

Marlo: This is most probably Fasciolaria tulipa that was found there as live adults.

scotto wrote: "That would be my guess."

dteven wrote: "I have three of these. I would have guessed Ranellidae, but it could be Fasciolariidae."

Dan,

I've done a pretty fair amount of collecting in the keys from Key Largo to Cudjoe Key. And, my reference collection includes the entire 10-year collection of another very active and fine field worker with material from Biscayne Bay to Key West. All my ID'd specimens have been independently confirmed by at least one "expert." I often refer to "we," which means myself and those other Florida material experts I rely upon for ID confirmations. However, my comments are restricted to the material in my collection only as a baseline, unless stated otherwise.

So, with that background, to your Columbellids. We have confirmed seven from the Keys. I have Costoanachis sparsa from four Florida locations, none from the Keys. Sparsa, similis, avara and sometimes sertulariarum are often confused along with about two other unnamed species. We have confirmed only scutulata (Reeve, 1859) from the Keys. We have found sertulariarum only on Florida's east coast and only as far south as Palm Beach County.

By the way, if anyone has Anachis material from FLorida they'd like to share or to have me to examine to confirm an ID, please contact me.

Here's what I've got. EDIT: updated 8/15/06 with some IDs.

Atys riiseana
Bittiolum varium
Bulla striata
Cerithidea costata
Cerithium eburneum
Cerodrillia thea (juv.)
Chione elevata
Columbella rusticoides
Conus jaspideus stearnsi
Costoanachis scutulata
Crepidula ustulatulina
Dentimargo aureocinctus
Eulithidium affine
Fasciolaria tulipa (juv.)
Gibberula lavalleeana
Glans dominguensis
Ischnochiton papillosus
Modulus modulus
Nassarius paucicostatus
Odostomia laevigata
Odostomia sp.
Olivella perplexa
Parastarte triquetra
Pilsbryspira leucocyma
Prunum apicinum
Pusia gemmata
Pyrgospira ostrearum (juv.)
Schwartziella bryerea
Stellatoma stellata
Tegula fasciata (juv.)
Thala foveata
Triphora sp.
Turbo castanea
Vermicularia spirata
Volvarina avenacea
Zafrona dicomata
Zafrona sp.
Zebina browniana

And now for some pix. Here are the two shells I'm calling Zafrona sp. because I don't think they're dicomata.

EDIT: I notice there's another Zafrona, Z. taylorae Petuch 1987, in the Keys (type locality: Rabbit Key Basin, off Rabbit Key, Florida Bay, Everglades National Park). Does anyone have access to a description or photo of this species?

FURTHER EDIT: Z. taylorae doesn't look like this. However, these shells approximate some specimens labeled as Zafrona idalina (Duclos, 1840) on the Femorale website. I believe these are idalina.

Here are the two shells I called Costoanachis sparsa.

Marlo's comment: This is Costoanachis scutulata.

I agree. Thanks for posting the great photos in the other thread.

Here are two shells of what seems to be a different Costoanachis.

EDIT: After seeing Marlo's C. scutulata photos in the other thread, I believe these are also C. scutulata.

This is my unidentified Odostomia. Sorry about the picture quality, they're so tiny I can't quite shoot them. They could be juveniles of O. laevigata except that they're much more evenly conical.

I believe this is a juvenile Tegula fasciata. Attractive, and looks different enough from the adults to have been a difficult ID.

Marlo: T. fasciata is what we call these.

EDIT: Two juvenile turrids. On the left, Pyrgospira ostrearum. On the right, Cerodrillia thea.

This is Volvarina avenacea. Marlo, I rejected avena on the basis of smaller size (that's a millimeter rule), longer spire, more slender anterior end, and pure white color. (Abbott #2759)

Marlo: I agree with you.

Triphora species.

Probably Marshallora modesta (http://www.shellmuseum.org/Sanibel/shells_modesta.html), although this shell is not as conspicuously banded as the one pictured on the BMSM site.

And finally, the mystery chiton.


Administrator's note: Scroll down and see identification and more images of the Chitons from this lot of shells.

Marlo: Here is my list to date. I still have 10-12 to figure out, and some of these below are "best guesses." Thanks for the material, and I'll post the balance as soon as I get them finished.

Herb Chapin
--

Florida Keys Micros

Genus Species Author, Year Qty. Reference

Marevalvata tricarinata (Stearns, 1872 4 Redfern
Gibberula sp. D 13 Redfern
Costoanachis sparsa (Reeve, 1859) 5 Redfern
Decipifus sixaolus Olsson & McGinty, 1958 1 Redfern
Steironepion minor (C. B. Adams, 1850 1 Redfern
Vexillum exiguum (C. B. Adams, 1845 1 Redfern
Codakia orbiculata (Montagu, 1808) 1 Redfern
Conus jaspedeus Gmelin, 1791 2 Redfern
Rissoina krebsii Morch, 1876 6 Redfern
Pedipes mirabilis (Muhlfeld, 1816) 1 Redfern
Dentimargo aureocinctus (Stearns, 1872) 3 BMSM
Dentimargo eburneolus (Conrad, 1834) 1 BMSM
Batillaria minima (Gmelin, 1791) 1 Redfern
Olivella perplexa Olsson, 1956 1 BMSM
Jaspidella blanesi (Ford, 1898) 1 Redfern
Bulla occidentalis A. Adams, 1850 5 Redfern
Bittiolum varium (Pfeiffer, 1840) 1 Redfern
Hyalina pallida (Linne, 1758) 1 Redfern
Vermicularia knorri (Deshayes, 1843) 2 Redfern
Pilsbryspira leucocyma (Dall, 1884) 3 Redfern
Columbella rusticoidea Heilprin, 1886 2 Redfern
Eulithidium thalassicola (Robertson, 1958) 2 Redfern
Zafrona dicomata (Dall, 1889) 21 Redfern
Modulus modulus Linne, 1758 2 Redfern
Modulus carchidoneus (Lamarck, 1822) 4 Abbott
Haminoea elegans (Gray, 1825) 2 Redfern
Nassarius paucicostatus (Marrat, 1877) 2 Redfern
Melanella conoidea Stimpson, 1851 2 Abbott
Zebina laevigata (C. B. Adams, 1850) 8 Redfern
Pyrgocythara plicosa (C. B. Adams, 1850) 2 BMSM
Pyrgocythara sp. 1
Cerithium eburneum Bruguiere, 1792 1 Redfern
Prunum apicinum (Menke, 1828) 6 Redfern
Chione elevata (Say, 1822) 5 Redfern
Glans dominguensis (d'Orbigny, 1845) 1 Abbott
Turbo castanea Gmelin, 1791 9 Redfern
Assiminea succinea (Pfeiffer, 1840) 2 Redfern

Attached is a spreadsheet of mine. Let me know how this looks on your end. Came thru fine! - Marlo

BTW, references are: Redfern = Bahamian Seashells, Colin Redfern; Abbott = American Seashells, 2nd ed., R. Tucker Abbott; BMSM = Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum website, Dr. Jose Leal. I used DeJong & Coomans, Warmke & Abbott, the Audobon Field Guide, Ross Gundersen's "The Seashells of Sanibel and Captiva Islands" and a couple of others for comparison.

Thanks,

Herb
--

Marlo: re: Marevalvata tricarinata - note that I have a separate line item for Turbo castanea. There are several juveniles in the T. castanea lot, and the M. tricarinata is positively what I've described, not a juvenile of the former species. I know both of these shells well from my Sanibel collecting.

re: Modulus modulus v. Modulus carchidoneus - I have two distinctly different species. The ones I've marked as M. carchidoneus meet all the criteria described in Abbott's description. I've been following your inquiries on Conch-L and was very careful to differentiate these two lots before ID'ing them. If the second is not M. carchidoneus, it is at least not M. modulus. A copy of this paragraph has been added to the Modulus modulus vs Modulus carchidoneus topic.

There are others of which I'm not so certain as these, but of these two comparisons I am quite sure.

Herb
--

I did note you had listed both. Any chance you might send one of the Key Largo Marevalvata tricarinata and one of your Sanibel Marevalvata tricarinata? I have Marevalvata tricarinata only from Tarpon Springs.

I'll have to look through my unsorted Sanibel-collected material. I've catalogued all my ID'd material into the BMSM, but I'll give it a go and send you one as soon as I can.

Administrator's note: Herb sent Marlo a specimen of the shell in question. Upon further review and discussion Herb and Marlo agreed the specimen in question was a juvenile Tegula fasciata. Therefore, Marevalvata tricarinata was removed from the master list.

One of my Sanibel specimens is the item pictured in Ross Gundersen's book, and another is on the BMSM website in the SW Florida Shells section at www.shellmuseum.org

Herb
--

Dan,

As I indicated previously, I send all my Chitons to a specialist for ID. He graciously provides me photos. He has reviewed about 20 of the Chitons I sent him from the Key Largo material and concluded all are Ischnochiton papillosus (C. B. Adams, 1845). Here's his photo of several of the color variations. Sizes range from 2-4mm.

Dan also wrote in a PM: "The two shells from Key Largo that I had called Zafrona sp. seem to be Zafrona idalina (Duclos, 1840) based on resemblance to some specimens on the Femorale website."

Marlo's comment: Comparing the two images side-by-side, I don't think they're the same. The Key Largo specimen is smooth and more bulbose on all whorls. Idalina appears to have radial ribbing, esp. on the early whorls. I also get doubtful when several dozen specimens from same material are clearly a particular species and 2-3 look a little different. My first reaction is "population variability."

*

Z. idalina is clearly a variable species, apparently much moreso than Z. dicomata. Look at the gallery of Z. idalina images at:

http://www.femorale.com.br/shellphotos/det...clos%2C+1840%29

The last image (8.6 mm Curacao) is nearly white and the whorls are bulbous, like my specimens. Three images above that (6.8 mm Venezuela) is another white shell, more slender, but with a trace of the brown-and-white checkered band that runs around the periphery. And three images above that (6 mm up Colombia) is a red shell with an even clearer example of that band. I don't see this band in any of my Z. dicomata specimens from Key Largo, nor in pictures I've been able to find online.

There is ample room for opinion, but it's much easier for me to see these specimens fitting into a series of Z. idalina than into a series of Z. dicomata. (My opinion is only as good as Femorale's identifications.) I'll send them back to Marlo for reexamination.

Here is my take on the micros that I have identified so far from Marlo’s Key Largo vial:

Barbatia cancellaria (Lamarck, 1819)
Prunum apicunum ( Menke, 1828)
Zeblin browniana Orbigny 1842
Conus jaspideus Gmelin 1791
Thala floridana (Dall, 1884)
Haminoea solidaria (Say 1822)
Bulla striata Bruguiere 1792
Micromelia undatus (Bruguiere 1792)
Codakia orbicularis (Linnaeus 1758)
Glans dominguensis (Orbigny 1845)
Tegula fasciata (Born 1778)
Columbella rusticoides Heilprin 1887
Batillaria minima (Gmelin, 1791)
Seila adamsi (H.C. Sea, 1845)
Vexillum hanleyi (Dohrn 1862)

Matt,

I'd like to believe it's true that what you have is a Micromelo undatus. This is a very distinctive shell, including the animal. I do work fast, but find it hard to believe I would have missed this species.





If you have more than one, please return it for an ID confirmation.

Hi Marlo,
Please add >Pilsbryspira leucocyma (Dall, 1884) to my list of Micros from Key Largo F l
Matt

Done!

Well, I received Dan's shells. Here's some images I made. Pictured are Dan's two specimens and one "classic reddish-brown" Z. dicomata, all from the same lot.





Unfortunately, I have no Z. idalina for direct comparison. However, we do have Redfern's descriptions of the two species. Both species are variable and such characters as color, size and general body shape when considered only one or two together cannot be taken as conclusive. Individual specimens in a population may vary widely and extreme distortions do occur. The best way to draw a conclusion is to look at as much evidence as possible and go with the most apparent conclusion. Dan's two specimens differ from the more usual color for F. dicomata and the less mature one (thin lip) certainly has distinctly more convex whorls than the other two. However, I don't think this alone is enought to require they are a separate species. Among the preponderence of evidence I considered to conclude Dan's two specimens should be identified as Z. dicomata are:

1. Comparing all three, they all have the same smooth, 1.5 whorl protoconch atop
a straight-sided, not much larger first teleoconch whorl. According to Redfern, Z. idalina also has a 1.5 whorl protoconch, but atop a large, more convex first teleoconch whorl. Note also in the below image that Dan's specimens exhibit the same degree of convexity for the first three teleoconch whorls as the classic and does not begin to display an unusual degree of convexity until the forth.



2. Comparing the one of Dan's specimens with a thickened lip to the classic specimen, neither reflect the "about 8 teeth in outer lip, strenghtening posteriorly" Redfern describes as characteristic of Z. idalina.



3. My collection includes these shells from throughout the Keys, including 100's from this Key Largo locale. All have been ID'd as Z. dicomata. Many have been examined and confirmed as Z. dicomata by other experienced Florida experts, including three lots from this Key Largo area. It's highly unlikly that a living population of Z. idalina exists intermixed with Z. dicomata and would not have been previously noticed.

4. I asked Harry Lee to examine Dan's shells. His ID was "Z. dicomata" and commented, "Really chubby. The fatter one is clearly abberant. Not another species." He also commented that he had no confirmed Z. idalina from Florida.

Dan, in my mind the evidence says these are Z. dicomata.