Deep water limpet ? titanictus? maybe it depends on which side of the rock it was found , good point by the way . anything new ? we have may eggs from the zebras (poephilia guttata ) and i believe at least one baby. we also added a pair of society or bengalese finches (loechura domestica) strange little guys as they have a good habit of taking ove r a nest and raising the young as for the genetic crossing bit our indian silverbills (loechura punctutata) are breeding w/ the spice finches (loechura stricta ) all the loechuira are in a subfamily called mannikins and thusly can interbreed , the poephilia can not breed with the loechura (sort of like humans . we can breed interracial but we can't breed w/ say a chimpanse (except in episode 24 of the X-files ) all 4 naw, Mark & Peta Bethke Hollywood, Florida -----Original Message----- From: Tom Eichhorst <thomas@RT66.COM> To: CONCH-L@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU <CONCH-L@UGA.CC.UGA.EDU> Date: Friday, October 02, 1998 2:32 AM Subject: Re: Hybrids within the Cypraeidae

>Emilio, >I think you are right on. The entire concept of species is clear cut only in old >texts. As we learn more, the definition of species becomes a bit wider and very, >very cloudy. One way species are separated and defined is whether or not they >mate with each other in their natural habitat. This is not a separation of >species because their offspring would be infertile but a separation because they >are separate. Thus if they have differentiating physical traits and are >geographically separate OR separated by closely related subspecies, then they can >be considered separate species that may indeed have viable offspring if they were >brought together in another environment. > >To use your cichlid example, four subspecies of fish-X are found in Lake Malawi; >labeled pop-a, pop-b, pop-c, and pop-d. Pop-a is on the North end of the lake, >pop-b is adjacent to pop-a to the South, pop-c is next, and finally pop-d is the >most Southern population (fried chicken, accent with a deep drawl and all). >Sorry got carried away. Anyway, in this example pop-a can interbreed with pop-b, >and pop-b with pop-c, and pop-c with pop-d. However, pop-a cannot interbreed >with pop-d, it is too far and there are all of these darn fish in between. These >two (a and d) will probably be considered species and the two populations between >(b and c) will be intergrades or subspecies. And no one knows or really cares if >a and d can successfully interbreed!!! It is enough that they do not. > >One more example and I'll quit, I promise. Where I live in New Mexico, USA, it >is against the law to keep and raise exotic mammals unless you have a specific >license, over 3,000 acres or are an established zoo. This is unlike our eastern >neighbors in Texas where any ranch can have African antelope, giraffes, or >whatever - no matter how small the ranch. Not here. However, if you go to my >youngest brother's place just down the road, you will see a beautiful Ibex goat. >This is certainly an exotic and yet my brother lives on only 10 acres. He can >legally do this because the goat is only 15/16 Ibex and 1/16 domestic goat. >These two separate species have been interbred for years and all of the offspring >are viable. Both goats are from common old world stock that speciated many, many >years ago. For countless years they did not mate and reproduce across species >lines, not because they couldn't but because they didn't. Now, if we want a goat >with wild horns we can cross Ibex with domestics, get our wild horns but still >have a legally domestic goat. A bizarre law but not nearly as bizarre as some in >nature. > >The proceeding sermon was brought to you by a history major so don't get too >worked up if I bent a biological point or two. > >And speaking of shells, I recently purchased a deep water limpet, Amathena >tricarinata (Linnaeus, 1758) from Tom Rice's place but I can't seem to find its >proper family. Anyone know where this guy belongs? Thanks, > >Tom Eichhorst in New Mexico, USA >