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No idea on the seashell:( - Printable Version

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No idea on the seashell:( - Alumette - 04-02-2012

Dear friends, this seashell I`ve found  on the beach of Nusa Dua Bali (not quite sure because It was many years ago).
I have got only one item of such kind (so maybe it is not common on the beach?).
Please take a look at this not big shell (21mm).
The body of the shell is a bit oblate on two sides. Modest such a shellSmile
Sorry but my camera isn`t able to make pictures of better qualitySad

[Image: 200asJZ.jpg]
[Image: 100asKb.jpg]
[Image: 300asKd.jpg]
[Image: 300asKi.jpg]

Please, has anybody an idea? Maybe I have been looking for the name not well?
Thank you very much!

Re: No idea on the seashell:( - wolfi - 04-03-2012

Hi Alumette,
it's family Ellobiidae, genus Pythia. As far as I know, three species are known from Bali and the surrouding islands: Pythia imperforata, Pythia pantherina and Pythia undata. Should be one of these species. For closer determination it's necessary to judge the lamellae and dentes in the aperture. A little bit difficult here because of the grains of sand...... :-\
Kind regards: wolf

Re: No idea on the seashell:( - Alumette - 04-03-2012

"wolfi"' Wrote:Hi Alumette,
it's family Ellobiidae, genus Pythia. As far as I know, three species are known from Bali and the surrouding islands: Pythia imperforata, Pythia pantherina and Pythia undata. Should be one of these species. For closer determination it's necessary to judge the lamellae and dentes in the aperture. A little bit difficult here because of the grains of sand...... :-\
Kind regards: wolf
wolfi, dear, thank you very much for such a detailed reply! I tried to learn the subject accordind to your leads. To my regret I have only net-sources within reach. So... I`ve seen only few pictures of P. imperforata, no one - of P.undata (evidemment tres tres rare form, non?) Instead - a lot of pictures of P.pantheria!!!!!! May it be that the colour is one of the important characteristics on the way of determination? Therefore it could happen that the mine is a "panther"Smile
Sometimes I don`t separate my shells from the sand because the grains of sand on different beaches are different as well. Like in this case: the sand grains on the beach of Nusa Dua(I don`t know the name of the beach in English) are nearly perfectly ball-shaped!!! It reminds me of the place where I`ve found a particular shell without a special sticker....Maybe It`s a wrong way.. I don`t know...
wolfi, thank you very much for the participation!

Re: No idea on the seashell:( - diocrisseashells1000 - 04-03-2012

I think it is Pythia scarabaeus (Linnaeus, 1758) because of its obvious calloused columella, one characteristic of this specie.

Re: No idea on the seashell:( - wolfi - 04-03-2012

Hi Alumette,
thanks for your answer. Japs, I love the beaches of Bali with those rather large, ball-shaped grains of sand, got a sample here in a glass........ Smile. You're quite right: Pythia pantherina shows numerous, rather clear defined dark spots, in P. imperforata and P. undata the spots are more vague. I don't know how seldom P. undata is, I only remember a large distribution from Indonesia to Australia.
Kind regards: wolf  Smile
P.s.: just looked for some literature about Pythia in/around Bali and got detailed information and very clear drawings. I think Alumette should compare these infos with her shell.
@diocris: might be, but I'm not quite sure because several species are rather similar.

Re: No idea on the seashell:( - diocrisseashells1000 - 04-03-2012

Hi Alumette,
Perhaps this link from Gastropod.com can help you in some way...

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.gastropods.com/Taxon_pages/TN_Family_ELLOBIIDAE.shtml">http://www.gastropods.com/Taxon_pages/T ... IDAE.shtml</a><!-- m -->

Happy shelling,
Diocris.

Re: No idea on the seashell:( - Alumette - 04-03-2012

I think that the reason of the uncertainity of choice is in, as wolfi said,
in "rather similarity of several species" and in... the quality of my pictures (for what I`m so sorry). Yes, Diocris, I`ve already learnt the page on gastropod.com but alas....still no certain decision.
On this page <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.conchology.be/?t=77&search=pythia&shells=on">http://www.conchology.be/?t=77&search=pythia&shells=on</a><!-- m --> - as well.
It may be P. scarabaeus as well as P.pantherina by apparence.
Il ne me reste que ... to take an "arbitrary decision' or ... obtenir a new cameraSmile If seriously... I have to read more oriented by your leads.
Thank you very much, my friends, for your qualified and experienced opinion!
PS. If be back on Nusa Dua I would bring a handful of such wonderful sand with meSmile To be honest I have not found any information on the reason why the grains of sand are ball-shaped and where in the world there is a similar beach with such sand. It`s very interesting! Excuse-me for the flame :-[