Malcological begginings

This website has been developed by an amateur shell collector in Central Queensland. Consequently it’s content and several of the issues discussed strongly relate to this region The aim of this site is to promote interest in malacology, the study of shells, and particularly to promote recreational shell collecting, especially among younger people.

Recreational shell collecting has practiced for thousands of years with shells being used for trade and currency in the pacific region. As a result, one of the more common shells of the world is perhaps the best known, referring of course to the money cowry. The Pacific Ocean and its island shores also arguably hold some of the most prolific and diverse shell habitats in the world. However shells are found in almost all places in the world even in the deep ocean darkness around sulfurous hydrothermal vents.

In recent years it has become obvious that in many areas within Queensland and Australia the avid shell collectors are ageing and fewer young members are continuing. This poses a real challenge to the continued existence of shell collecting as a hobby. Shell collecting has to compete with many more passive and technological pursuits available to young people today. Those with a scientific interest in shells, conchologists, should seriously consider this as amateur collectors have in the past made many new and exciting discoveries.

The world today is rapidly changing, as all will agree. Issues of conservation and technology seem often to be on conflicting paths. But as experienced collectors are aware and beginners will find; the greatest wonders in the world are not those that are man made but those of nature which will continue to inspire and awe those who view them timelessly as they have done throughout the ages. This is perhaps the greatest inspiration for collectors, not knowing what is under that next rock or coral slab or what will be seen on the next dive.

Without doubt a shock to many newcomers to this hobby or pastime is that most specimen shells are collected live. However as all avid and more advanced collectors will testify, collecting is extremely limited in volume with collectors only taking exceptional specimens. Once a quality representative of a shell is in a collection, in the majority of cases, another of that species will not be taken.

The environmental respect and awareness fostered by such a hobby in fact usually leads to less specimens being taken than allowed by government regulations. For example in Queensland, regulations allow five of any one species may be taken in a period of twenty- eight days, but few collectors would dream of collecting these potential numbers of shells.