6 VERY Very tiny shells -need help

[paul monfils]

The first difficulty you run into in trying to ID such minute shells is that some of them may be full grown adult specimens of very small species, while others are recently hatched juveniles of species that will be much larger when full grown.  You definitely have both categories represented here.

The transparent shell is a juvenile.  I can't place it, though the sculpture is reminiscent of some Cymatium species.  But there are other things it could be.

The next one, smooth on the exterior, looks like a juvenile Natica.

The "petrified snail" - The picture is really not clear enough to be sure what I am looking at, but what I can see - or think I can see - could possibly be a mature specimen of a Scissurella species.  Not sure!

The tube-shaped shell is a mature specimen of a Caecum species, probably Caecum pulchellum.

The next is an immature, in fact almost embryonic, specimen.  I don't know what, though I suspect it is a small species.  The completely smooth, bulbous protoconch would suggest several possible genera such as Barleeia,  Zebina, Turbonilla, etc.  Don't know!

The last one is also a juvenile, and the strong ribbing suggests an Epitonium species.  <span class="petit">--Last edited by Paul Monfils on 2009-09-18 01:56:11 --</span>