A Conchological Iconography

The Babyloniidae, or commonly called 'Ivory Shells', are a small group of gastropods with moderately large, conspicuously patterned and visually appealing shells. Despite their relative uniformity in terms of colour and shape, some species show considerable variability and this led to some taxonomic problems. Their striking patterns have led authors to rely on the pattern as a criterion for species distinction, in preference to much more reliable structural features such as whether and to what degree the suture is channelled, and the structure of the fasciole and umbilicus. The present book figures 16 taxa in the genus Babylonia and another four in Zemiropsis. Beside the scientific names all species are also introduced with their vernacular names in classical Chinese, modified Chinese and Japanese.