sea shells of tropical west america

This revision and expansion of a classic work treats all of the molluscan species recorded from the Panamic province: the tropical and subtropical shores of the Eastern Pacific and the offshore islands as far as the Galápagos. The Panamic mollusks, with their biogeographic affinities principally in the Pliocene of the Atlantic, are rich in number and variety of species. In completing the first major task of malacology for the province (the cataloging, systematizing and illustrating of most of the molluscan species likely to be recorded from the region), the work lays the groundwork for the studies of evolution, physiology, behavior, ecological relationships, etc., now being undertaken in earnst. For this edition, the coverage has been extended geographically to northwestern Peru and systematically to microscopic and deepwater species and to the shell-less mollusks. The text and the supplementary materials have been planned to be of maximum use to interested laymen as well as to specialists. Some 3325 species are treated, about double the number in the first edition. For the great majority of these (some of the microscopic and deepwater forms are simply listed), the book provides nomenclatural data, synonyms, detailed descriptions, typical dimensions, range data, notes on relationships, etc. and one or more halftone or line illustrations.

Edition: 1971