Macrocypraea zebra / Hexaplex fulvescens

[pilsbryi]

What do these two species have in common? At first sight nothing, besides the fact they co-exist in the same habitat. Unfortunenately they are becoming scarce, and thats something they share about.

It is just to seek for a macrocypraea zebra above 90 mm, and the conclusion i take is that it is a hard one to get . Happens the same with the Hexaplex fulvescens, above certain dimension ( 130 mm+ ).

Macrocypraea zebra it is harder to evaluate its actual rarity status, since its geographical range its much wider than fulvescens . In 2001 i had the chance to collect about 6 M. zebra in Brazil , all dead specimens, and i looked into every crevices i could.    

These two are a good baromether for whats going on with certain ceribbean species, that are getting rare. This phenomena it is quite unperceptible, since other values such as sizes and the search for gem specimens overcomes.

In the last 20 years many new collector appeared, and many new species and subspecies as well. The market changed a lot, what was supposed to be rare it is now common, and what was common  turned into rare in many cases.

These last are my priority when i make a choice, since they are still avaiable at nice prices. This will change in the years to come, so in a logic of an investement they are the right choice to make.

[marlo]

Any chance you can post a photo of your 6 meter <i>M. zebra</i>?

That would be bigger than the 4.5 meter <i>H. fulvescens</i> I recently found munching on a one meter <i>M. cervus</i>.

[dave r]

ROFL ! <img src="images/smiley/lol.gif" alt="" border="0" />

[pilsbryi]

 Thats too stupid and nonsense to deserve an answer . You have to try something more constructive .

[pilsbryi]

<blockquote><p><b>Quote :</b><table width="80%" border="1" style="border-color:#000099;background-color:#CCD4EC" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td class="petit">marlo wrote : Any chance you can post a photo of your 6 meter <i>M. zebra</i>?

That would be bigger than the 4.5 meter <i>H. fulvescens</i> I recently found munching on a one meter <i>M. cervus</i>.  </td></tr></table></p></blockquote>

Dear Marlo,

I take 26 years collecting shells , i possibly have some that i bet you have never seen or you´ll see at your life time .
I have never expended a fortune for a shell and i even self collected an albino form of Voluta musica , wich no catalogue has a price for it . It is called Voluta musica forma damula ; a fresh dead and extremely rare one .

So, as you see i am used to every kind of shells but my interests are mostly in Muricidae and Volutidae.

26 years are not the same as 26 days, and i take this too much seriously to waste my time in nonsense dialogs.


I am a professional marine biologist who interests about data ( size ; habitat )  and this it is an important feature.

If you want to talk about shells , be my guest . Maybe we have something to learn with each other , who knows ?

[marlo]

Let's see,

You can't be "The" Pilsbry.  He died in October 1957 in Lantana, Florida, the same year this Chicago boy collected his first shell on a trip to Florida.

<img src="http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l110/olram9/Miscellaneous/409px-Henry_Augustus_Pilsbry.jpg" alt="http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l110/olram9/Miscellaneous/409px-Henry_Augustus_Pilsbry.jpg" style="border:0" />

I haven't made the contributions Henry did, but a little levity lightens the day.

"Humor is the only test of gravity, and gravity of humor; for a subject which will not bear raillery is suspicious, and a jest which will not bear serious examination is false wit."

Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC)

Tell us a little about yourself.  Where do you do your research (institutional affiliation)?  Have you published? Sounds like you may be in my neck of the woods (Gulf of Mexico).  I'm just a collector.  But, an example of my contribution can be seen at <a href="http://z14.invisionfree.com/Conchologist_Forum/index.php?showtopic=1849." target="_blank"><!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://z14.invisionfree.com/Conchologist_Forum/index.php?showtopic=1849">http://z14.invisionfree.com/Conchologis ... topic=1849</a><!-- m -->.</a>  I'd like any information you might have to share about this shell.