About

In the characterization of seashells, the maximum dimensions that a species can attain play an important role. The registration and publication of the largest known specimens of a species, its provenance, the date it has been collected, and its owner, has been conducted since many decades, in different formats and with different approaches. More recent listings were extended to also recording the smallest adult specimens of those groups with determined growth, to albinistic or sinistral shells, and so on. The data has been useful for researchers, and it gave interesting, exciting, but also, competitive, aspects to shell collecting.

The first launch of the online version of the "Registry of World Record Size Shells" allowed for a more detailed presentation of the largest specimens on record, by giving photographs of the respective shells, and by making readily updated information available to the worldwide community of shell collectors and researchers likewise. However, the early steps suffered from certain inadequacies. The most crucial one was the mis-identification of specimens supposedly representing a record size of a species. These errors resulted from either ignorance and careless conduct in the review of submitted records, but unfortunately, also because of certain dealers, who promoted "record size shells" to a small group of collectors, who bought them for their egos. As a consequence, the concept of "record sizes" was inflated even further, by listing juvenile individuals, aberrant specimens, subfossil shells as "albino", faked shells with artificially prolonged extremities, or in the case of the minimum sizes, shells in which parts had been cut away. In the end, and for good reason, the "Registry of World Record Size Shells" received a bad reputation.

We are determined to take the Registry back to a serious and consistent standard. A significant number of current record listings require a careful revision to overcome the dark side of our "heritage", and with our team of experts we will gradually eliminate those "black sheeps".

All the information related to accessing the database, the procedure of having a shell registered as a record, and the membership needed for your active contribution are explained in the "Guidelines".

With the increasing insights gained from molecular analyses, family- and genus assignments change rather frequently, and the only reliable fixpoint is the species. When searching for a taxon, bear in mind that the ending of a species name can change with the gender of the genus it is placed in. For example, Conus pagodus and Conasprella pagoda refer to the same species. Therefore, a search for "pagod" is the best way to find it.

It is not the intent of the Registry to propose correct systematic placements or dispute the status of taxa, although a concerted effort will be needed for the Registry to conform with current published opinion. This will be the task of the experts working with us.

Some groups, although shell producing, have been omitted because of subjectivity in obtaining reproducible measurements of species contained within those families. This is especially the case for the Polyplacophora (Chitons). Also, fossil species are not considered in the database for the moment, mainly due to taxonomical obstacles.

Popular shell books may list sizes or size ranges for a species, but do not indicate the source of the information, rendering it unverifiable. In some references, sizes have been estimated rather than actual measurements taken. In the better references, accurate size and repository information have been included for specimens illustrated. These sizes will be listed in the Registry whenever possible.

Considering the already enormous task of dealing with marine species, terrestrial and freshwater species have so far been excluded. However, preparations are under way for possible inclusion in the future. The same applies to fossils.

After polling a number of collectors and researchers, the general consensus was that separating the bivalves from the gastropods was a more useful arrangement since most popular and scientific works separate these two groups.

One of the problems with the Registry is the difficulty in tracking the movements of each specimen listed. All entries will remain as they were last published until we receive written notification that a specimen has changed hands. It is up to either the recipient or the former owner to notify the editors of the Registry with the appropriate information of new ownership. However, second party verification is not necessary for simple transfer of ownership. The same applies to specimens donated to museums or other institutions. Once notification is received, the listings in the next issue will reflect the transfer of ownership. Once transfer information has been processed, the new owner' s name will appear in the repository column of the entry without further notation.

A word of caution. The desire of collectors to own the largest (or smallest) specimen of a species is understandable. In fact, some collectors base their entire collection on this premise. However, before paying a premium price based solely on the fact that a shell is advertised as the current world record, bear in mind that the world record status is fleeting. What may be the largest specimen registered at the time of purchase may be the second or third largest in the hands of the dealer advertising it.

Printed issues of the Registry of World Record Size Shells are not scheduled, but we are working on it. The advantage of the internet is that the listings are kept up-to-date on a regular basis.

We hope that you will enjoy being part of the journey.

Sincerely, Jean-Pierre Barbier.