Annotated Checklist of Marine Species 



Class: GASTROPODA 



Family: FISSURELLIDAE (keyhole limpets) 



Diodora cayenensis (Lamarck) 



Illustration: Plate T^,b. 



Modern distribution: Common on the entire pe- 

 riphery of the peninsula from Turnefle Islands, 

 B.H., to Laguna de Terminos, Camp. 



Archaeological occurrence: 



DZIBILCHALTUN: i unworked, from Cenote 

 Xlacah, presumably an offering, undated. 

 TIKAL: 2 unworked, not dated (M-MS). 



Diodora listen (d'Orbigny) 



Illustration: Plate 21, aa. 



Modern distribution: North and east coasts, from 



Turneffe Islands, B.H., to Telchac Puerto, Yuc, 



and at Alacran Reef. 

 Archaeological occurrence: 



TIKAL, I unworked, not dated (M, p. 67). 



Fissurella barbadensis (Gmelin) 



Illustration: Plate i,a. 



Modern distribution: Restricted to Caribbean coast 



of the peninsula, from Turnefle Islands, B.H., to 



Isla Contoy, Q.R. 

 Archaeological occurrence: 



DZIBILCHALTUN: i unworked, in unstratified 



deposit. 



CHICHEN ITZA: i unworked, from Sacred 



Cenote (J. Ladd, personal communication) 



TIKAL, I unworked, not dated (M-MS). 



Comment: Limpets rare at Dzibilchaltun, Chichen 

 Itza, and Tikal, not reported elsewhere, including 

 Isla Cancun midden. Therefore they were probably 

 not used for food, although common on rocky shores 

 and delicious to eat. They may have been strung 

 through "keyhole" as jewelry. More probably they 

 were collected for pleasure or as a votive offering. If 

 identification of Dzibilchaltun Fissurella is correct, 

 this is one of the few shells not reported from adja- 

 cent beaches in the archaeological fauna of the site. 



Family: TROCHIDAE (top shells) 



Calliostoma jujubinum (Gmelin) 

 Illustration: Plate i,c,cc. 



Modern distribution: East coast of the peninsula, 

 from Belize, B.H., to Isla Contoy, Q.R., also 

 Alacran Reef. 



Archaeological occurrence: 



ISLA CANCUN MIDDEN: i unworked. For- 

 mative. 



Cittarium pica (Linne) 



Illustration: Plate i,d,dd. 



Modern distribution: Very common on east coast 



from Belize, B.H., to Isla Contoy, Q.R. Not seen 



on north or west coasts. 

 Archaeological occurrence: 



DZIBILCHALTUN: i unworked, in unstratified 



deposit. 



ISLA CANCUN MIDDEN: 364, unworked. 



Formative. 



TIKAL: I unworked, not dated; 2 perforated for 



suspension, both Classic (M— MS). 



PIEDRAS NEGRAS: i unworked, Late Classic 



cache (C, pp. 55, 82, as "Livona pica" which is 



this species). 



Comment: Discarded magpie shells {Cittarium 

 pica) are favored for reoccupation by the hermit 

 crab, and are frequently found in the coconut trees 

 of the east coast plantations. The actual sea snail, 

 locally known as sigua, is eaten extensively by the 

 coastal population, either raw or cooked as soup, 

 which is delicious. 



Family: TURBINIDAE (star shells) 



Astraea caelata (Gmelin) 



Illustration: Plate i,e,ee. 



Modern distribution: Common on Caribbean coast 

 from Turneffe Islands, B.H., to Isla Cancun, Q.R., 

 and on offshore atolls. 



Archaeological occurrence: 



ISLA CANCUN MIDDEN: i unworked. For- 

 mative. 



Astraea phoebia Roding [ = .4. longispina Lamarck] 



Illustration: Plate i,/,//. 



Modern distribution: Common on all coasts, from 

 Turneffe Islands, B.H., to Isla Carmen, Camp., 

 and on offshore atolls. 



Archaeological occurrence: 

 ISLA CANCUN MIDDEN: 4 unworked. For- 

 mative. 



