January, 2000 
SCAMIT Newsletter 
Vol. 18, No. 9 
Next Don brought up the subject of a clearing 
agent to consider as an alternative to methyl 
salicylate. It is called d-limonene and is less 
toxic than most other clearing agents. To learn 
more about it see Silverman (1999). Currently 
Don, being sensitized to the methyl salicylate, 
is using cedarwood oil as a clearing agent. This 
works well but some find it unpleasantly 
pungent as well. If d-limonene (which is the 
basis of several commercial brands of clearing 
agent) is satisfactory in our application we can 
consider using it in lieu of other agents 
potentially disagreeable to one or more of our 
members. It is the same material used to impart 
lemon flavor to foodstuffs and other products 
and is considered safe for human consumption 
(in small doses) by the FDA. None of the 
members have tried it yet but expect a report 
on the subject in the future once tests are 
completed. 
The taxonomy aspect of the meeting started 
with molluscs. Kelvin Barwick (CSDMWWD) 
had a small gastropod which he had tentatively 
identified as Leptogyra sp?. It was from one of 
the City of San Diego’s ITP (International 
Treatment Plant) Regional stations (2655). The 
animal was collected in 88 feet of water. After 
some examination it was determined that the 
animal had a calcareous operculum and was 
therefore not Leptogyra. ID was left at 
Turbinidae, although the animal was most 
probably a juvenile Homalopoma. The next 
mollusc was a bivalve which turned out to be a 
juvenile Periploma planiusculum. It was 
collected from the ITP Regional station, 
2260(1) in 40 feet of water. The City of San 
Diego rarely sees this species of Periploma as 
it seldom reaches depths at which routine 
monitoring is undertaken. 
Specimens of Vitreolina yod were discovered at 
ITP Regional station 2655(2) in 88 feet of 
water. Megan Lilly (CSDMWWD) expressed 
her concern that it could easily be confused 
with Melanella grippi. This latter species, now 
known as Vitreolina Columbiana (following 
McLean 1996) and V. yod are conveniently 
pictured together in Figure 1.14 of that 
publication which allows direct comparison of 
all three species of Vitreolina taken in 
monitoring of local waters. V. Columbiana is 
the most torted of the three, with pronounced 
curvature in at least two planes. The remaining 
two, V. macra and V. yod have very little 
curvature in the second plane (apertural to 
abapertural), with V. macra having much more 
curvature in the first plane (lateral) than does V. 
yod. Vitreolina yod also has a less elongate oval 
aperture, yielding both a broader body whorl 
and a larger spire angle than found in either V. 
columbiana or V. macra. Use of McLean’s 
figure should help avoid confusion in 
identifying the three species. 
Kelvin Barwick’s provisional species Philine 
sp SD 1 was then brought forth and examined 
by Don Cadien. The animal was discovered at 
CSDMWWD ITP station 1-14(2) in 87 feet of 
water. Don identified the animal as Philine 
bakeri based on the crenulation of the shell 
margin and the nature of the attachment of the 
outer lip to the spire. Both characters are 
discussed on the Philine sp A voucher sheet as 
characterizing this species. The odd thing 
about this animal was a seeming absence of 
gizzard plates upon dissection. As the original 
description of P. bakeri was based on a dead 
shell, morphology of the animal, the structure 
of the radula, and presence of gizzard plates 
cannot be determined for the holotype. Until 
the taxon can be more completely described 
based on topotypic or other neotype material, 
identifications must hinge on the fairly unique 
shell structure and ornamentation of the 
species. Please remember this is the P. bakeri 
of Dali, not the P. bakeri of either Abbott’s or 
Behrens’ handbooks, which is actually P. alba. 
Amphissa was the next animal to be 
considered. Kelvin had dry mounted a size 
series of Amphissa on a palaeo-slide. It was 
decided that the animals were Amphissa 
undata. The City of San Diego also had a 
specimen of A. versicolor in their voucher 
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