2 unidentified gastropods

[mikede]

For years I can't identify these 2 shells. Don't know the location for both of them, though the turrid (on the right on the picture) may come from West Africa. The shells are 2.5-3cm long.

Thanks Mike

<a href="http://img145.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img19962gg5.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/4388/img19962gg5.th.jpg" alt="http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/4388/img19962gg5.th.jpg" style="border:0" /></a> <a href="http://img57.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img19972ji9.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/391/img19972ji9.th.jpg" alt="http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/391/img19972ji9.th.jpg" style="border:0" /></a>

[dave r]

Hi Mike,
the left shell looks like a Mancinella or Thais species, possibly one of the haemastoma complex. As to the Turrid, good luck! You might try Eddie Hardy's site but there are an awful lot of Turrids that look like your one.
Dave

[mikede]

Thanks for the hint with the Muricid shell Dave!

I did a quick internet search and the closest I got to was Rapana bezoar. My shell looks like a juvenile one of this species, though I couldn't find pictures of juvenile Rapanas.

For the Turridae I did a seach long time ago and the closest I came up with was Inquisitor varicosa <a href="http://www.gastropods.com/6/Shell_7996.html" target="_blank"><!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.gastropods.com/6/Shell_7996.html">http://www.gastropods.com/6/Shell_7996.html</a><!-- m --></a> . One of the pictures  from Eddie's site looks nearly exactly like my shell (the third from the top), but the others look way different, so I suppose these are different species pictured there.  <span class="petit">--Last edited by mikede on 2008-06-24 01:46:42 --</span>

[dave r]

Hi Mike, if it is one of the Suduiraut pictures you are probably safe. Eddie is a friend of mine , he is a great bloke but tends to believe the identification sent with the image if it is a family he is not familiar with, I suppose he has no choice really. He does not have the time to research all the images he recieves and sometimes they are misidentified, even the likes of Poppe sometimes get it wrong. I have revised most of the Neritidae and the genus Oliva for him so far, I plan others later. There is no other site like it though and it is very useful but if you are not sure you can always check with other sources.
I never thought of a juvenile Rapana bezoar but I would say you are probably right.
Cheers,
Dave

[mikede]

Hi Dave,

of course I don't blame Eddie for having misidentified pictures on his site <img src="images/smiley/smile.gif" alt="" border="0" />. I really appreciate his work and also understand how difficult this work is. It's great that he has helpers who're working to improve his site!

Greets,
Mike

[petershell]

The one on the right is : Brachytoma tuberosa,
this Fam. Drillidae.
Regards

[mikede]

Thanks Peter! <img src="images/smiley/smile.gif" alt="" border="0" />

[paul monfils]

I think the shell on the left may be Rapana bezoar (Linne, 1758)