2006: DEC | NOV | OCT | SEP | AUG | JUL | JUN | MAY | APR | MAR | FEB | JAN
2005: DEC | NOV | OCT | SEP | AUG | JUL | JUN | MAY | APR | MAR | FEB | JAN
2004: DEC | NOV | OCT | SEP | AUG | JUL | JUN | MAY | APR | MAR | FEB | JAN
The last two membership meetings have been enjoyable get togethers among members though, really, nothing newsworthy to include at this time.
Membership Meeting
The membership meeting was well attended by members and GW High School student. A good thing as we were entertained to an enjoyable slide show by Dr. Fred Schroeder on "deep rubble" shelling. This is a fascinating way to collect and Fred described his methods to collect in this habitat. Many of the species discussed are quite small and difficult to find. So, it was a treat looking at many uncommon and rare finds, including a murex named in Fred's honor, Aspella schroederi (right). It was an enjoyable meeting.
Website Updates
- More pictures added of Unidentified shells.
- More Recent Finds, including a few additional images. (the page was split up for years 2004, 2005 and 2006).
- New page for Cymatium exile (Gastropoda: Ranellidae).
Membership Meeting
Well, it was just a small group of members. We enjoyed a nice dinner while showing some of our recent finds.
Membership Meeting
Club members welcomed students from Linda Tatreau's marine biology class at GW High. Aside from a little Show & Tell, we had an informal Q&A with the students about shells and marine life in general. I think we all had some fun with it. We ended the evening with a little more fun by having a shell raffle. Everyone walked away a winner.
Little to report at the moment and there's no club meeting this month. Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! May your stockings be stuffed with Golden Cowries and Glory-of-the-Sea Cones. :)
Website Updates
- Added a Species ID page to the ID section, offering easier access to species pages available thus far.
Additional species pages are forthcoming. - Edited many pages to allow you to more easily scroll through the family listings, species pages and articles.
- Some of the past reports from 2004 have been reposted, at the bottom of this page
- Ongoing updates for references & links within the ID section.
- Recent Finds continue to be reported.
Membership Meeting
Just a small turnout with some show & tell. Steve Norby had a nice assortment of species from various families. A couple of live Conus bullatus were brought in for display (collected by Kevin E and on loan to Bob Abela for photographs). This is a rare species on Guam, so it was a treat to see these lovely critters up close.
Website Updates
- Ongoing reports for Recent Finds.
- Articles from Guam Shell News are now also in HTML format.
- Further updates for links and references.
- A few more Unidentified shells.
- New page for Mitra pyramis (Gastropoda: Mitridae)
- New page for Harpa harpa (Gastropoda: Harpidae)
- New page for Distortio anus (Gastropoda: Personidae)
Membership Meeting
Just a small group this month, without any presentation. Aside from our usual show & tell, it was a nice evening among friends.
Website Updates
- More Recent Finds reported for Septmenber and October.
- Several Links have been moved to various pages where they are more relevant (within the ID section).
- New page for Unidentified shells. At the moment, a few turrids but there will be more.
- New page for Philbertia (Pseudodaphnella) granicostata (Gastropoda: Conidae).
- New pages for Mitra incompta and Pterygia crenulata (Gastropoda: Mitridae).
- New page for Distorsomina pusilla (Gastropoda: Personidae).
Membership Meeting
Our small group gathered once more for conversation and dinner. No presentations though we did have some fun with a small raffle. The last month had a fair amount of stormy weather and rough seas, so it was nice to see that we all still managed to get out collecting and bring in a few recent finds. There were a number of interesting specimens though, honestly, I lost track of what they were. Sorry about that! I do recall the very large, fresh dead Conus leopardus that Fred Schroeder found in Agat Bay. It was unusual in that much of the spotting was absent.
Website Updates
- New pages for Nassarius concinnus, Nassarius gaudiosus (Gastropoda: Nassariidae)
- New pages for Palmadusta clandestina, Purpuradusta gracilis, and Pustularia cicercula (Gastropoda: Cypraeidae).
- Family listings are now available for Bivalvia, Cephalopoda, Polyplacophora and Opisthobranchs (Gastropoda).
Membership Meeting
Another casual affair with our regular group. Will Knapp, friend of Steve Norby and a fellow sheller from Texas, was visiting. There was not much in the way of recent finds as ocean conditions had been picked up throughout most of July. Bruce Henke brought in a very interesting Spondylus from the Orote Cliffline. There was some debate as to what species it may be. If it is not S. linguafelis, it is closely related. Steve brought in a couple broken pieces of a large Conus bullatus. Too bad, it would likely have been a gem specimen.
Bruce had recently announced that he is relocating to California at the end of this month. The club thanks him for not only assuming officer positions as VP and Treasurer (perhaps others too?) over the last decade but also for the outstanding presentations. We wish you the very best!
Website Updates
Noticed the lack of reports over the last several months? Unfortunately it takes effort keeping track of personal finds let alone those of others. But it has been a popular page and it should continue. So, if you have recent finds you'd like to report, please help by taking the time to report your finds by e-mail. Or give me a handwritten note at club meetings. Reports should include detailed collecting information (location, date & time found, depth, habitat, how it was found, noteworthy observations & who found it). Photos are encouraged too, particularly for rare and unusual specimens. If you can't identify a species, assistance is available.
The site has undergone more revision. Until now, only visitors using Internet Explorer were seeing the site's layout as intended. Visitors using other web browsers (such as Mozilla, Firefox, Netscape, and Opera) were getting substandard results. I hope the modifications improve things but there are undoubtedly more kinks to work out. So please feel free to let me know of any discrepancies you encounter.
More additions and updates to the Identification Section are coming soon.
Membership Meeting
The club does not usually meet in July but we decided to anyway. Nothing fancy, no presentations. We enjoyed a good meal, good company and good conversation! Club members present were Kevin & Eunice E, Steve & Bunny Norby, Fred & Cathy Schroeder, Bruce Henke and Bob Abela. Conversation centered around legalities of shipping and receiving specimen shells, including those for scientific purpose. This was prompted by a recent frustrating experience Steve had regarding a received package and the possibility that it may end up being confiscated. (More info in the near future.) On the more upbeat side, Fred showed off a recently found Conus auratinus, rare throughout its range. It was under rubble, along a fairly steep sloping reef along (or very near?) Luminao Reef, at approximately 65 ft. A fantastic find for Guam!
Website Updates
- The library page has been updated. Among the additions, you'll note many reprints from The Veliger. These were acquired earlier this year, through the kind assistance of Alan Kohn, who had sent Guam Shell Club related literature, newsletters, newspaper clippings, etc that were previously in the library of Ken & Lorraine Rhein. The Rheins were very active with the GSC in earlier years. Eventually, an article on the history of the Guam Shell Club will be posted and the past newsletters will greatly help.
- New page for Vexillum exquisitum (Gastropoda: Costellariidae).
- New page for Strombus haemostoma (Gastropoda: Strombidae).
- New page for Gyrineum roseum (Gastropoda: Ranellidae).
- New page for Purpuradusta fimbriata (Gastropoda: Cypraeidae).
- Updated pages for Bistolida stolida, Blasicrura teres (Gastropoda: Cypraeidae) and Philbertia nexa (Gastropoda: Conidae). Revised text, format & additional photo.
- Links back in place for Bursa condita, (Gastropoda: Bursidae), Vexillum cf. cavea (Gastropoda: Costellariidae), Favartia crouchi (Gastropoda: Muricidae), and Calliostoma sp. (Gastropoda: Trochidae).
Membership Meeting
The June 14th membership meeting was very informal and attended by club members Kevin E, Bruce Henke, Steve & Bunny Norby, Fred Schroeder, and Bob Abela. Members welcomed Dave Watts who was visiting from Oahu and is quite active with the Hawaiian Shell Club. Bruce displayed yet another outstanding assortment of Australian cowries as well as a number of freak Tiger Cowries. And, as always, we took time to pass around and show off some of our recent finds.
Website Updates
- Update page for family Triviidae, added a large collection close-up images (animal & shell).
- New page for Terebellum terebellum (Gastropoda: Seraphidae).
- New page for Philbertia (Pseudodaphnella) nexa (Gastropoda: Conidae). (note: Conidae includes subfamilies once assigned to Turridae.)
- New page for family Drillidae which is no longer a subfamily of Turridae.
Our last membership meeting, May 10th, was attended by our regular group of club members as well as a few guest students from GW High School. I'd like to point out that the students, all enrolled in Linda Tatreau's marine biology class, have truly been a pleasure to have at our meetings. As their graduation day approaches, the club wishes them the very best in their future. We welcome you back anytime.
Club member Fred Schroeder treated us to a 'show & tell' presentation on popular gastropod families. For each family, Fred offered a representative specimen to pass around as he covered their distinguishing characteristics. It was an informative talk and everyone had fun. Club member Bruce Henke brought in yet another spectacular display of Australian cowries. A few members passed around their recent finds for everyone to look at. Steve Norby and Kevin E shared a nice assortment, I especially envied the dead yet very nice Conus cylindraceus they have been turning up. As usual, we finished off the evening's entertainment with a small raffle.
The April meeting was a special meeting as Bruce Henke, an excellent photographer, gave a slide show on his diving adventures in Tasmania, South Australia as well as here on Guam. There were many images which included some of great white sharks, seals, penguins and sea horses. I missed out on this but was pleased to hear that the meeting had a good attendance, including several club members who have not been around in a while.
You may have noticed the website has undergone an 'overhaul.' This will continue and I hope you like the direction it's taking. Want to help make it better? You can help! It can be as simple as constructive feedback, pointing out errors, or noting any discrepancies you may encounter while viewing from your particular browser. Perhaps you would like to report a recent find or have some pictures to share? Maybe you would like to write an article? Or do you have entirely new and exciting ideas to improve the site? This website is a fun project for me and I welcome club members to join in the effort. So please feel free to contact me. Thanks, Bob Abela
Membership Meeting
Steve Norby led the meeting. Steve and Bruce Hencke presented a short, informal discussion for our members and visiting GW High School students. Steve's focus was on local shells of Guam. And Bruce took us to the land down under, setting specimen shells upon a map of Australia, each placed at the general vicinity they were found. This was followed by our raffle.
Membership Meeting
We had the pleasure of entertaining an enthusiastic group of GW High School students taking marine biology (taught by our club member Linda Tatreau). With the club's sincerest apology, a last-minute opportunity for a slide show was cancelled. Instead, members fielded general questions about shells and mollusks from the students while providing some show & tell. The evening ended with a small raffle.
Membership Meeting
Club members Fred Schroeder, Kevin E and Steve Norby brought in a good number of recent finds collected at the end of August (when all the storm activity was subsiding). Unfortunately, I've lost track of what they all were. Club members should feel free to provide me a list of recent finds to report at anytime and I'll be more than happy to update the Recent Finds page.
A small turnout at the June meeting: Fred, Cathy & Elizabeth Schroeder, Kevin E, Steve & Bunny Norby, and Bob Abela. Recent finds were brought in for show & tell, including these:
BOB ABELA - Lambis crocata, Naquetia triqueter, Cypraea margarita. KEVIN E - Turris garnonsi, Pterymarchia triptera. FRED SCHROEDER - Colubraria sp., Vexillum corbiculum. STEVE NORBY- Mirapectin rastellum, Vexillum millecostata, Chicoreus laqueatus.
Lyncina sulcidentata on Guam?
Danny McBride was an active member of the club back in the early 1980's. He reports of an unidentified cowry found at that time in Apra Harbor! Take a look at the picture. It appears to be C. sulcidentata, yes? I can only assume this is a freak find, perhaps introduced through ship's ballast.
Danny also shared an image of the first Cypraea mappa he ever found. It was taken in Apra Harbor, offshore from Polaris Point. It also just happened to be a rusty dwarf. Very nice!
Book Donation
Danny also mentioned that he would be sending a few books for our club library. Well, this was a very generous donation. Each book is brand new and deserves your attention. These will be made available for club members at each membership meeting. On behalf of the Guam Shell Club, a very special thank you! Bob
Compendium of Seashells by R. Tucker Abbott & S. Peter Dance
Seashells of the World (Golden Guide) by R. Tucker Abbott
Field Guide to Shells (National Audubon Society) by Harald A. Rehder
The Art of Shelling, 2nd edition by Chuck & Debbie Robinson
Shells (Smithsonian Handbook) by S. Peter Dance
The Worlds Most Beautiful Seashells by Leonard Hill & Pete Carmichael
Shells, Guide to Jewels of the Sea by Giorgio Gabbi
Manual of the Living Conidae, Volume 1: Indo-Pacific Region by Dieter Röckel, Werner Korn, & Alan J. Kohn
A Guide to Worldwide Cowries, 2nd ed. by Felix Lorenz & Alex Hubert
New Worldwide Cowries by Felix Lorenz
Diagnosing Cowry Species by E. L. Heiman
Website Update
More recent finds have been reported through June, along with several more pictures. More live images are included on the home page. Over time, these will be replaced with newer images. The Links pages has added several more recommended websites. And there is a new "Shell of the Month" (please note this is now the identification section)
Regarding the posting of past Guam Shell News, this project is still underway. Richard Salisbury, one of the original editors, has been very supportive of this effort and assisted by providing many of the original images that were used. So, as a bonus, the electronic versions will include these in color. Once more, thanks! Bob
Membership Meeting
The May meeting had a good turnout with 9 members and 3 guests, students from George Washington High. Bob Abela presented a slide show about Strombidae, presenting close-up images of shells and animals for most of the locally found species.
And there were quite a few shells brought in! Here's an attempt at mentioning them all:
Worldwide Specimens
BRUCE HENKE - a wonderful assortment of worldwide specimen shells, including many Australian Cowries. Too many to name! BERNIE SABLAN - Cypraea mauritiana & Cypraea maculifera from Hawaii, a large and lovely Cypraea guttata.
Guam Specimens
BOB ABELA - Conus legatus. Living specimens of Cypraea labrolineata, Strombus maculatus and S. microurceus. KEVIN E - Chicoreus laqueatus, Conus auricomus, Cypraea labrolineata, lynx, mariae, ventriculus and Mitra pyramis. BRUCE HENKE - Phalium areola, Murex saulae and Ovula ovum. STEVE NORBY - Conus flocattus, C. geographus and Semipallium marybellae. FRED SCHROEDER - Colubraria cumingi, Cypraea becki and Strombus taurus.
After the presentation, we did squeeze in a shell raffle but there wasn't enough time for a "shell of the night" competition. Considering all the great shells brought in, this was unfortunate. So, future meetings which include a show/presentation may have the meeting time bumped up to 7:00pm, instead of the usual 7:30pm.
Website Update
There have been a few more additions to the website this month, including an article by Alex Roth on the Family Strombidae. And a page for 2004 minus low tides. Hope this comes in handy. (please note that this was removed, visit the UOG Marine Lab website for tide tables)
More images have been added as well, along with more recent finds. Check out the recent finds from 4/24/04. You can see Steve Norby's Conus flocattus, Conus geographus, Cypraea childreni and Semipallium marybellae. As for that gorgeous S. marybellae figured on the left, Steve found the first half on one dive and, returning to the same spot on the next dive, found the second half. It's a beauty and was well worth the effort!
Some editorial clarification regarding the Guam Shell News posted last month. It is actually Vol 1, No. 4 and not Vol. 1, No. 3 as originally posted last month. The file has been edited to indicate Dec 1979, Vol 1, No 4, as I'm sure was originally intended. This all came to light through the kind help of Marc Lavaleye, from the Netherlands, who provided copies of Vol 1, No.1 through No.3. These issues will be made available as an acrobat file too.
However, the xeroxed images are not adequate for reproduction, so unless I can get my hands on original issues, I wish to create replacement images keeping to the original format. To do this, I am in need of locally-found specimens of Micromello guamensis, Stombus taurus, Costellaria obeliscus, Costellaria radius, Costellaria mica, Costellaria verecundulum, Distortio pusilla, Mitra ustulata, Eucyclotoma hindsii. Please contact me if you can help. Contributions will be gratefully acknowledged.
Membership Meeting
The April meeting had a small attendance: Steve & Bunny Norby, Kevin E, Fred Schroeder and Bob Abela. So, there was little need for formal business.
Having just arrived on Guam, Kevin was welcomed as a returning member. Kevin last resided on Guam in the eighties. In the short time since his return, he has already collected several impressive shells, particularly two large, gem Cymatium exile.
Fred had just returned from a trip to Oahu. He mentioned getting in several dives and finding a nice Cypraea tigris. If you are not aware, Hawaiian Tigers are the largest to be found. Fred commented that his was not a monster. Still, Hawaiian Tigers are not easy to find and, compared to Guam specimens, are always impressive.
Steve and Bob took an opportunity to show their shells from the recent shelling trip to the Philippines (more below).
Shelling in the Philippines
Before Kevin's return to Guam, Steve, Bunny and Bob paid him a visit in the Philippines. And Steve, Bob and Kevin took the opportunity to go diving off Olongo Island, a short boat ride from where we were staying. Collecting was good and we turned up a nice assortment of common species, including:
COWRIES: Cypraea asselus (dead), boivini, carneola, caurica, chinensis, cribraria, eglantina, erosa, errones, isabella, labrolineata, limacina, lutea, mappa, micron, moneta, talpa, teres, ursellus (dead), and ziczac. CONES: Conus textile, omaria, glans, musicus and varians. MUREX: Pterynotus tripterus, Haustellum haustellum. OLIVES: Oliva annulata, carneola, mineacea. Conchs: Strombus aurisdianae, bulla, labiatus, lentiginosus, luhuanus, pipus, sinuatus, urceus, variabilis; Lambis lambis, millipeda; Terebellum terebellum. MITERS: Mitra erimitarum, fraga; Cancilla granatina, gloriosum; Vexillum costatum, plicarum, sanguisugum. MISCELLANEOUS: Haliotis asinina, Scutus unguis, Stomatella varia, Cirsotrema varicosa, Trivirostra oryza, Cymbiola vespertillo, Cymatium gutturnium, Cymatium sinense, Gyrinium gyrinum, and Tutufa rubeta.
Local fisherman work these reefs on a frequent basis, for shells and fish, either for food or sale (specimen shells, tropical fish). Signs of their activities were noted on all dives and we frequently encountered fish traps in shallow. We even stumbled upon a tangle net on one dive. Dynamiting of reefs is still common practice and hearing this underwater, especially the first time, was very disturbing. No large fish were seen. I can only imagine what these waters must have been like in their once pristine condition.
We also took the opportunity to visit Philippe Poppe at Conchology, Inc. As we walked in, our attention was immediately drawn to impressively large fiberglass replicas of Golden and Spotted Cowries as well as a Tritons Trumpet. And along the walls were nicely framed pictures of live mollusks taken by Philippe, an avid underwater photographer. Philippe and his two friendly Golden Retrievers, Mac and Tosh (get it?), were there to greet us. And after formal introductions, we were given a tour of his establishment along with further greetings by a polite and attentive staff. Just past his office is a large room filled with computers where information is entered for specimen shells (offered on-line for sale) into a large, customized database. At the time, they were quite busy putting together a searchable database, now available, for the Hawaiian Shell News. An adjacent room was set-up as a photo studio, with several work stations for taking pictures of shells. Another adjacent room was for cleaning shells. And, of course, there were additional rooms for storing an impressive inventory as well as shipping supplies. As we passed through these rooms, Philippe opened a few drawers, displaying an amazing collection of fake specimen shells, altered by colors, pattern, or form. Time went by quickly during our visit and we ended up skipping through lunch. Steve took the opportunity to purchase a few nice specimens. A couple days later, we were entertained to a nice lunch. (As a final note, Philippe graciously offered our club members discount prices on specimen shells if we purchase as a group.)
We also had checked out a few other local dealers, several even visited at our resort. So, after a little friendly bartering, several purchases were made.
It was a fun trip and I look forward to a return visit.
Website Updates
Response to the site has been modest yet favorable. To help its long-term success, club members are encouraged to contribute any shell-related articles, pictures, news of recent finds, or any website or editorial support you can provide.
Did you know our club once had a publication, the Guam Shell News? There is only one issue available within the club's archives, Vol 1, No 4 (December 1979) and this has been reproduced (pdf format using Acrobat Reader), with minor editing, to closely match the original printed version. As additional issues become available, they too will be made available on-line. (Please note that all four issues are now available.)
If you did not know, prior to the launch of this active website, Jeff Young has advertised the club's existence since March 1996. Visit his personal website and you will also be treated to several pages dedicated to Guam, its diving, and its shells (with an emphasis on cowries). On behalf of the Guam Shell Club, thanks Jeff!
Bob A.
Membership Meeting
Steve Norby led the meeting. Several high school students attended and, without a scheduled presentation, Steve had them identify a few shells while assisting with keying them to family, genus and species.
Membership Meeting
Members brought in shells for show and tell and Bob Abela led a short meeting. Of particular note, he brought up the recent publication, The Marine Biodiversity of Guam and the Marianas. Gustav Paulay is the publication's editor and author of several chapters, including Marine Bivalvia (Mollusca) of Guam. And Barry Smith is author for the chapter on Prosobranchs of Guam. This publication is part of the Marine Biodiversity Survey of Guam and the Marianas project, coordinated between the University of Guam and The Florida Museum of Natural History. Members are encouraged to visit its excellent website. While only in the early stages, the site already offers a large number of images to view, provides information on how to purchase the publication, and how you can help.
A Big Thankyou!
As the "newbie" president, I would like to thank and acknowledge the outgoing officers for the time and effort they have given to keep the club going over the last year: Bruce Henke as Treasurer, Linda Tatreau as Secretary, Frank Mateo as Vice President, and Toni von Sheele as President. Bob
Membership Meeting
High school students from Linda Tatreau's marine biology class attended and were most welcome. Bob Abela gave a slide presentation on the Ranellidae from Guam. We even had a small shell competition and here are the winners:
Adult, Scuba, Live Finds
1st - Turris garnonsi - Bob Abela
2nd - Cymatium exile - Bob Abela
Adult, Scuba, Dead Finds
1st - Cymatium bibbeyi - Fred Schroeder
2nd - Cymatium bibbeyi - Steve Norby
3rd - Cypraea aurauntium - Steve Norby
Adult, Snorkel, Live Finds
1st - Cypraea erosa - Steve Norby
Arts & Crafts Fair at Jeff's Pirates Cove (12/22/03)
On Sunday, 12/22/03, club members' Steve & Marilyn Norby, Fred, Cathy & Liz Schroeder, and Bob Abela set up a table for the Arts & Crafts Fair at Jeff's Pirates Cove. The club raised about about $150 in sales while increasing our exposure to the community. Most local visitors were not even aware that our club was still around. Several visitors took pleasure in bagging an assortment of craft shells. And others expressed interest in our small display of deadly cone shells. It was a nice day.