Registry of World Record Size Shells

Registry of World Record Size Shells
First edition cover featuring a pen and ink illustration of Chicoreus eversoni by Anthony D'Attilio[1]
AuthorKim C. Hutsell, Linda L. Hutsell & Donald L. Pisor (editions 1–3); Donald L. Pisor (editions 4–5); Jean-Pierre Barbier, Philippe Quiquandon & Olivier Santini (editions 6–11); Philippe Quiquandon, Jean-Pierre Barbier & Adeline Brunella (edition 12–present)
LanguageEnglish (online database also in French)
PublisherSnail's Pace Productions (editions 1–3); ConchBooks (editions 4–5); Shell's Passion & Topseashells (edition 6–present)
Publication date
1997–present
Media typePrint (softcover)
Online database
PagesSee text

The Registry of World Record Size Shells is a conchological work listing the largest (and in some cases smallest) verified shell specimens of various marine molluscan taxa. A successor to the earlier World Size Records of Robert J. L. Wagner and R. Tucker Abbott, it has been published on a semi-regular basis since 1997, changing ownership and publisher a number of times. Originally planned for release every two years, new editions are now published annually. Since 2008 the entire registry has been available online in the form of a searchable database. The registry is continuously expanded and now contains more than 25,000 listings and 85,000 supporting images.[2][3]

Certain families of attractive shells (such as cones, cowries, marginellas, and murex) are particularly favoured by collectors. World record size shells (commonly indicated by the acronym 'WRS') of species in the most popular families are much sought after by some shell collectors, and can thus command high prices.[nb 1][6][7][8][9][10][11] Collections of such shells are exhibited at a number of specialist museums, including the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum.[12][13][14][15][16] Maximum and minimum sizes are also of interest to malacologists, and may be useful in delimiting closely related species.[17] As an extensive compilation of maximum shell sizes, the registry has found use as a data source for scientific studies.[nb 2][19]

  1. ^ Hutsell, K.C., L.L. Hutsell & D.L. Pisor (1997). Hutsell & Pisor's Registry of World Record Size Shells. Snail's Pace Productions, San Diego.
  2. ^ Registry of World Record Size Shells. wrs-shells.com.
  3. ^ Quiquandon, P. (16 March 2011). Re: WRS for Cypraea carneola propinqua (f) Garrett, 1879? CONCH-L archives.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Hursh2012 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ [Anonymous] (April 1985). American museum tops size records. Texas Conchologist 21(3): 84.
  6. ^ Whitehead, T. (June 1981). "World record size": why — and how . Hawaiian Shell News 29(6): 11.
  7. ^ Jones, R.H. (June 1981). Do we keep track? Hawaiian Shell News 29(6): 11.
  8. ^ Boone, C.E. (October 1979). Texas whopper. Texas Conchologist 16(1): 1–4.
  9. ^ Trego, K. (10 March 2005). A record size for Megastraea turbanica (Dall, 1910) (Gastropoda: Turbinidae). The Festivus 37(3): 36.
  10. ^ Weaver, C. (July 2010). Hawaii's giant marine univalves . Internet Hawaiian Shell News. [Originally published in Hawaiian Shell News, March 1965.]
  11. ^ Owen, B. (N.d.) "World record" specimens of Haliotis species of the west coast of North America - a brief description and photo study. Of Sea and Shore.
  12. ^ Brickley, J. (19 January 2011). Shell Museum debuts exhibit of world record-holders. Captiva Sanibel.
  13. ^ Hoover, K. (28 January 2011). Shell Museum Unveils New Exhibit of Record-Size Shells. Ocean's Reach.
  14. ^ The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum (13 January 2011 – 2 April 2012). World Record Size Shells 2012. Facebook.
  15. ^ Bickel, M.H. (13 February 2023). Sanibel's Bailey-Matthews shell museum acquires world record-sized shell. Fort Myers News-Press.
  16. ^ Leal, J.H. (17 February 2023). A Big World Record Size Shell! Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum.
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference COA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ Estes, J.A., D.R. Lindberg & C. Wray (2005). Evolution of large body size in abalones (Haliotis): patterns and implications. Paleobiology 31(4): 591–606. doi:10.1666/04059.1
  19. ^ Yong, E. (13 January 2015). How Big Are The Biggest Squid, Whales, Sharks, Jellyfish? Phenomena: Not Exactly Rocket Science.


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