Molluscan Biogeography and the Value of Historical Collections

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Molluscan Biogeographyand the Valueof
Historical Collections

• Bruce Neville
• University Libraries
• 29 April 2008

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The Wentletraps
Photos Tom Eichhorst
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Theres a snail in my hermit crab shell!

• Photo stolen from Jacksonville Shell Club
  website,
• http//www.jaxshells.org/went.htm

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Photo Tom Eichhorst
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• Photo
• unknown, web

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A lot of the species look a whole lot alike
Epitonium angulatum, Florida
Epitonium pyramidale, Philippines
Epitonium minorum, New Zealand
Epitonium jukesianum, Australia
Photos Tom Eichhorst
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And most are tiny!
Photos Jeff Nekola
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Importance of original descriptions
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The Strange Case of Gyrsocala lamellosa

• Photo
• Tom Eichhorst

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Distribution of Gyrsocala lamellosa
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Distribution of Gyrsocala lamellosa
Photos Tom Eichhorst
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The Strange Case of Epitonium angulatum

• Photo
• Tom Eichhorst

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Then I got this from Brazil

• Photo
• Jeff Nekola

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Clearly, theyre not the same

• Florida Brazil
• E. angulatum E.
  arnaldoi

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Whats going on in Northern South America?
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The Strange Case of Gyroscala rupicola

• Photo
• Tom Eichhorst

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Form B
Photo Tom Eichhorst
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Two forms or two species?

• Photos
• Tom Eichhorst

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The Strange Case of Epitonium billeeanum

• Photo
• Tom Eichhorst

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Lives on yellow corals throughout the tropical
Pacific and Indian Oceans

• Photo stolen from
• http//blog.wickeddiving.com/2007_05_01_archive.ht
  ml

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Then I got this one from Okinawa

• Photo
• Tom Eichhorst

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Now known to be four species

• E. billeeanum, Mexico E. aureum,
  Okinawa
• Photos Tom Eichhorst

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The Strangest Case (Yet) ofGregorioiscala
nevillei García, 2003

• Photo Philippe Mastrati, in García,
• Novapex H.S. 117 2003.

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Special Thanks to

• Tom Eichhorst, Friend and Collaborator
• Jeff Nekola, Friend and Microscopist
• Lenny Brown, Fellow Epitoniologist
• Art Weil, for starting the book
• Emilio Garcia, for naming a shell after me
• Andrew Ruiz, MAGIC, for help with the maps
• John Craig, Biology, for weighing my microshell
• The Specimen Shell Dealers (your check is in the
  mail)
• The Libraries and Museums of the World
• UNM Libraries, for letting me play with my
  shells
• Interlibrary Loan at UNM!

• Photo and Image Credits

Tom Eichhorst Jeff Nekola
Jacksonville Shell Club website Khao Lak
Diving Mastrati, in García, 2003
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