I can maybe partially answer this.

We often find very dead crabbed specimens of this shell with an epibiotic covering which I believe may be a hydrozoan.

Often live specimens of this shell have a dark deposit of some kind of stuff on them which I never have figured out what it was, bleaching doesnt remove it, and scraping didnt seem to do much either. It is not unlike stains I see on deep water shells, like buccinids or volutes (Fulgorarias) eg from the Chinese dealers.

(Marlo, if you want I can send you some examples, let me know).

On 8/7/11, Harry G. Lee <hglee2@mindspring.com> wrote: > I believe you're seeing some kind of epibiont, but I can't recall what > it is and haven't time to launch an investigation. > > Harry > > > On 8/7/2011 2:31 PM, Marlo Krisberg wrote: >> >> None of the descriptions I have of this shell indicate the presence of >> a periostracum. However, many I've seen do have what appears to be a >> light to very heavy, brushy periostracum. Does Ilynanassa trivittata >> have a periostracum or am I seeing some other growth? >> >> */Marlo/* >> > > > -- > Harry G. Lee MD > 4132 Ortega Forest Drive > Jacksonville, FL 32210-5813 > USA > (904) 389 4049 > shells@hglee.com > hglee2@mindspring.com > >

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