Aart M. Dekkers(1960) started looking at strombs roughly in 1999 starting with freak forms. Soon my interest in all shells and sealife was raised. Meanwhile I became member of the NMV [The Dutch Malacological Society], and through other collectors meeting at the half-yearly shell-days at the Zeemuseum in The Hague [now: Muzee], I joined the Amsterdam based shellclub De Keukel.

In daily life I am working as a public certified accountant, and though I did not choose for a university education in Biology [in the early 1980 years, no jobs were available then], marine biology always took my attention.

I am a general collector on seashells, and also intrested in the fossil history of shells. I specialize on Stromboidea, and Strombidae in particular. In 2004, I got a copy of Abbotts famous publication from my year of birth. Later, reading Abbott, I realised that the taxonomy on Strombidae could do with some research and needed changes. After 3 publications in 2007 and 2008 dealing with new species in other families, my first publications on Strombidae were published in the club issue of De Kreukel. Henk Dekker, who also published on Strombidae previously, supported me with my first publications.

I hope to publish other articles in the future [after 2008], and invite every one to work with me.

List of Publications on Stromboidea by Aart Dekkers:

• 2008: Revision of the family STROMBIDAE (Gastropoda) on the supra specific level, part one . – De Kreukel 44(3-4): 35-64
• 2008a: The origin of the family STROMBIDAE, part one: an analysis derived from literature – De Kreukel 44(3-4): 65-87

Examples from Aart Dekkers' collection

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Euprotomus bulla x vomer; hybrid form; Balabio Island, North Province, New Caledonia, Melanesia; 15-30 m, dived alive on sand at night; 57.3 mm; 2010
Coll. Aart Dekkers no. STR1767

Strombus alatus Gmelin, 1791; Peanut Island, Riviera Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida, USA; double spined form; collected on exposed sand and grass flats at low tide; July 2003
Coll. Aart Dekkers no. STR0459

Strombus gracilior Sowerby, 1825; West Panama; 67 mm; Coll. Aart Dekkers no. STR1466

Strombus gracilior Sowerby, 1825; Guaymas, Gulf of California, (Sea of Cortez), Sonora State, Mexico; 87,7 mm; Coll. Dekkers no. STR2166

Lobatus holeylandicus (Petuch, 1994); Bermont Formation, middle Pleistocene; Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida, USA; 162,9 mm; Coll. Aart Dekkers no. STR9003

Aliger costatus griffini (Petuch, 1994); Pleistocene; Immokalee, 3 miles from Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Collier County, Florida, USA; 147,6 mm; Coll. Aart Dekkers no. STR9076

Lobatus aff. diegelae (Petuch, 1991); Bermont Formation, middle Pleistocene; Palm Beach County, Florida, USA; 127 mm; Coll. Aart Dekkers no. STR9022

Lobatus leidyi (Heilprin, 1887); Pleistocene; Charlotte County, Florida, USA; 115,7 mm; Coll. Aart Dekkers no. STR9026

Lobatus leidyi brachior (Petuch, 1994); Caloosahatchee Formation, lower Pleistocene; Florida, USA; 152 mm; Coll. Aart Dekkers no. STR9073

Lobatus cf. hertweckorum (Petuch, 1991); Tamiami Formation, upper Pliocene; Sarasota, Sarasota County, Florida, USA; 155 mm; Coll. Aart Dekkers no. STR9085

Strombus bubonius Lamarck, 1822; Tyrrhenian, upper Pleistocene; San Juan de los Terreros, south of Aguilas, Almeria Province, Autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain; 82 mm; Coll. Aart Dekkers no. STR9063

Lentigo lentiginosus (Linnaeus, 1758); Bohol Island, Bohol Province, Central Visayas Region, Philippines Islands; 59,6 mm; Coll. Aart Dekkers no. STR1429

Lentigo pipus (Röding, 1798); Bohol Island, Bohol Province, Central Visayas Region, Philippines Islands; 74 mm; Coll. Aart Dekkers no. STR0695

Lentigo lentiginosus x pipus; hybrid form; Philippines Islands; 62,8 mm; Coll. Aart Dekkers no. STR2164

Ophioglossolambis violacea (Swainson, 1821); Saint Brandon Archipelago, northeast of Mauritius Island, Indian Ocean; Coll. Aart Dekkers no. STR1521

Ophioglossolambis digitata (Perry, 1811); Zanzibar Archipelago, Tanzania, East Africa, Indian Ocean; taken at low tide; 134 mm; 11/2005; Coll. Aart Dekkers no. STR1516

Harpago rugosus (Sowerby II, 1842); off Cairns, Queensland State, north east Australia, Coral Sea, South Pacific; reef at low tide; Coll. Aart Dekkers no. STR1564

Harpago rugosus (Sowerby II, 1842); Diamond Islets, Coral Sea Islands, Queensland State, north east Australia, South Pacific; Coll. Aart Dekkers

• t: 152 mm, no. STR1565
• b: 156 mm; no. STR1566

Harpago arthriticus (Röding, 1798); Mabul Island, Sabah State, northern Borneo Island, Malaysia; 133 mm; Coll. Aart Dekkers

Harpago arthriticus (Röding, 1798); Korido, Biak Island, Papua Province, Indonesia; 158 mm; 9/1959; Ex-coll. Hes Grootens-Boerefijn; Coll. Aart Dekkers no. STR1399

Doxander japonicus (Reeve, 1851); East China Sea; trawled in 130 m; 2016; 58,5 mm; ex Coll. Wu Fei, Coll. Aart Dekkers STR3076

Dolomena minima (Linnaeus, 1771); freak; Port Vila, Efate Island, Shefa Province, Republic of Vanuatu (ex New Hebrides), South Pacific Ocean; by diver; 38,6 mm; Coll. Aart Dekkers STR0893

Canarium mutabile (Swainson, 1821); Olango Island, Cebu Province, Central Visayas Region, Philippines Islands; 34 mm; Coll. Aart Dekkers no. STR1755

Canarium microurceus Kira, 1959; Barracuda Rock, Guam Island, Mariana Islands, Micronesia, USA, North Pacific Ocean; taken by diver in sand at 10-15 m; 16,8 mm; 5/2007; Coll. Aart Dekkers no. STR1112

Canarium microurceus Kira, 1959; Kwajalein Island, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, North Pacific Ocean; on rubble at 10 feet; r: 22 mm, l: 23,2 mm; 1986; Coll. Aart Dekkers no. STR0761

Canarium microurceus Kira, 1959; Balut Island, Sarangani Islands group, Davao Occidental Province, Davao Region, Philippines Islands; tangle nets in 100-150 fathoms; 17,2 mm; 12/2007; Coll. Aart Dekkers no. STR1111

• left: Gibberulus gibberulus Linnaeus 1758, Inhaca Island, Maputo Bay, South Mozambique. Snorkling 2-3 m. on sandy mud in sea grass. Length 45.5 mm. AMD STR3073.
• middle: Conomurex decorus Röding 1798 × Gibberulus gibberulus Linnaeus 1758, Natal north coast, Sodwana area, South Africa (RSA). Dived in 10 m, 2009, Length 60.6 mm. AMD STR1639.
• right: Conomurex decorus Röding 1798, Natal, South Africa(RSA). On sand flats at low tide, 1969. Length 57.3 mm. AMD STR0490.

Arrhoges occidentalis (Beck, 1936); Central Brown's Bank, 90 miles SSE of Clark's Harbour, Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia, Canada; taken by fishermen in 60 m, medium gravel bottom; 8/1992; Coll. Aart Dekkers STR1483

Arrhoges occidentalis (Beck, 1936); off New Foundland; trawled in 200+ m; 49,4 mm; Coll. Aart Dekkers STR0222

Pugnellus densatus Conrad, 1860; Coon Creek Formation, upper Cretaceous; Mc Nairy County, Tennessee, USA; Coll. Aart Dekkers

Rimella appeninensis Sacco, 1893; lower Oligocene; Soghe near Lago di Fimon, Vicenza Province, Veneto Region, Italy; Coll. Aart Dekkers

Calyptraphorus trinodiferus Conrad, 1857; Wilcox Stage, Bassi Formation, early Eocene; West of Butler, Highway 10, Butler, Choctaw County, Alabama, USA
Coll. Aart Dekkers no. STR9107

Calyptrophorus velatus nodovelatus Palmer, 1937; Lisbon Formation, Claiborne Stage, middle Eocene; South of Souwilpa Creek on CR 21, ACh-8, Barrytown, Choctaw County, Alabama, USA; 31,6 mm; Coll. Aart Dekkers no. STR9108

Calyptraphorus stamineus (Conrad, 1855); late Eocene; Louisiana, USA; t: 43 mm, bl: 44 mm, br: 36 mm; Coll. Aart Dekkers no. STR9154

Terebellum terebellum (Linnaeus, 1758); Swan Reefs, Coral Sea, Queensland State, north east Australia; in 3-5 m; Ex-coll. Doug Thorn; Coll. Aart Dekkers

Pelicaria vermis (Martyn, 1784); Hauraki Gulf, near Auckland, North Island, New Zealand; on tidal mud flats; 24 mm; Coll. Aart Dekkers STR 0202