4:22PM 11/21/95
Kelly Sendall
Collection Manager
Invertebrate Zoology
Royal BC Museum
675 Belleville Street
Victoria, BC
Canada V8V 1X4
ksendall at rmbl01.rbcm.gov.bc.ca
Dear Kelly,
I have been working with the family Sabellariidae for quite
some time. I've seen some specimens from the coasts of
British Columbia in the (USNM), (HMCZ), and (BMNH), and
(LACM-AHF).
In a review and revision of this family, published last year,
I proposed some nomenclatural changes for the two species
that I've seen from nearshore waters of that general area,
namely, _Idanthyrsus ornamentatus_Chamberlin, 1919 to _I.
saxicavus_(Baird, 1863); and _Sabellaria cementarium_, Moore,
1906, to _Neosabellaria cementarium_ (Moore). There are
some deep water forms described from a single specimen, off
Oregon and Washington, that could be expected to also occur
off B. C.
I would appreciate it very much if you could give me an
idea of the number of lots and specimens of sabellariids in
your collections so that we can plan the most efficient way
that I might able to examine them.
The reason I'm sending this over the Annelida List is that
I would like to extend the same offer to anyone, anywhere,
who might let me borrow and examine specimens of Sabellariidae.
If there appear to be new species that need to be described,
I will be happy to let the owner of the specimens decide
whether to (1) let me help an interested worker describe them,
(2) join the interested worker as a co-author, (3) describe
and publish the descriptions and names myself.
Best wishes,
David W. Kirtley
