Graptacme calamus (Dall, 1889) Reed Tuskshell

Scanning Electron Micrograph

Graptacme calamus (Dall, 1889) Reed Tuskshell

Bottom sample, 75 feet in shell hash/sand, 27.75 miles E. S. E Mayport, Duval Co., FL 7/14/1997 (17 mm.)

    This juvenile shell shows nepionic sculpture with minute apical pore, followed by a swollen  zone, in turn followed by a series of several raised rings, and finally the longitudinal ridges of the teleoconch. This shell is quite similar to that of nepionic Dentalium laqueatum (Henderson, 1920, pl. 1, fig. 3) and, according to Steiner (1995: 96; fig. 11), is characteristic of Antalis, Fissidentalium, and Episiphon. We found no record of nepionic Graptacme in the literature.
    Scanning electron micrograph performed under the auspices of the Dept. of Invertebrates of the United States National Museum with the excellent technical assistance of Ms. Yolanda Villacampa.