Japanese Wonder Shell

I missed the frosty start to the day, which was very quickly replaced by dull grey weather, followed by steady rain. Finally feeling almost back to normal, I got on with taking the Christmas decorations down and stocking up the cupboards, which were at last approaching emptiness after the festive season.

As I hadn't taken any other photographs I raided Pete's shell collection to find another subject with which to practice stacking. This shell, Thatcheria mirabilis, also known as the Japanese Wonder Shell, is considered to be one of the most elegantly shaped in the world, which is probably why it appealed to me. 

 It was first discovered in 1887. In describing the species, G. F. Angas said "This very remarkable shell, quite unlike anything hitherto met with, was recently brought from Japan by Mr. Charles Thatcher," and, because Angas was at a loss to place it in a known genus, Mr. Thatcher acquired an unexpected immortality. Conchologists, puzzled by its peculiar appearance, were equally doubtful where to place it systematically and often they echoed the words of G. W. Tryon: "That this shell is a scalaiform monstrosity cannot be doubted, but what may be its normal form is not so readily ascertained".


     No others were known until the early 1930's when several, exactly comparable, were fished up in Japanese waters; it was no longer a monstrosity and its systematic position was established a few years later. It is a member of the Turridae.      As more specimens were found so their commercial value escalated and high prices were paid for them until the 1950's; from then on they were common enough to be obtained fairly cheaply.

This is a composite of twelve images, lit by an LED torch from the left. I was fairly pleased with the finished effect, which shows the helical structure of the shell well.