Notocypraea: Shell collecting and Science

摘要

Research on a family or genus that is popular withcollectors like the southern Australian genus Notocypraea can haveits drawbacks. In such situations, decisions based on scientificreasoning can conflict with those of collectors and shell dealers.This is the problem that confronted R.J. Griffiths when he producedhis seminal review of the Notocypraea in 1962, where he usedanimal and radular characteristics for the first time to assist withspecies determination. In this review he clearly identified threespecies that could be positively identified by differing radularcharacteristics: N. angustata, N. piperita and N. comptonii. Hedescribed and illustrated another seven that he accepted as validspecies, plus another three that he listed as species Z, Y, and W. Inclosing he stated that, "It only remains to emphasize this paper isno more than a preliminary review of an extremely complex group.This further research will only be possible if every collector adoptsa new point of view. He will have to realize that information on theanimal — its habitat, appearance, structure, radula, behavior, andmethod of breeding — is even more important than the collection ofthe shell. Until further knowledge of the animal is gained, littleprogress is likely."