Newsletter Newsletter Issn 1834-4259 No

ACN 067 894848 MALACOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AUSTRALASIA NEWSLETTER NEWSLETTER ISSN 1834-4259 NO. 144 JULY 2012

The Latest in Boring Research: Shipworms in Australia Hugh MacIntosh. James Cook University Email [email protected]

Shipworms are bivalve molluscs in the family Teredinidae

I first discovered shipworms, or ‘Teredos’ while valve body plan almost to its limit. The shell valves on a low tide field trip during my undergraduate are small, round and covered in rows of fine cutting studies in British Columbia, Canada. I stood on a teeth for excavating wood. This mechanical action half-buried log to escape some deep mud, and an creates fine wood fragments, which are consumed by absent-minded blow with my shovel saw a sizeable the shipworm and digested with the aid of symbiotic portion of the wood fall away, revealing an inside bacteria. Continually tunneling further into the honeycombed with tunnels, occupied by numerous wood, the body and gills become long and stretched soft, worm-like creatures. What immediately struck out- the result is a worm-like shape that gives them me was the contrast between these fleshy, fragile their common name. animals and the damage they had caused- they had At the posterior end are two slender siphons, invisibly undermined and destroyed the log from poking out of the burrow’s tiny entrance hole made within, leaving no external trace of their work! This as the shipworm settled down as a larva. Also at the made quite an impression on me and inspired me to posterior end are a pair of calcareous paddle-like learn more about them. When it came time to apply structures known as pallets, which can be pushed for a PhD, I proposed research topics on shipworms into place to seal the burrow’s entrance against and was fortunate enough to land a position in Aus- predators or desiccation. tralia at James Cook University under the supervi- The insatiable wood-eating appetite of ship- sion of Prof. Rocky de Nys and Dr. Steve Whalan. worms can result in significant economic damage to Despite the misleading name, shipworms are unprotected marine structures, and has seen them not worms, but rather bivalve molluscs of the family described and vilified since the invention of wooden Teredinidae. Adapted to burrowing or boring into vessels- the name Teredo derives directly from the hard substrates like their sister taxon, the Pholadidae, ancient Greek word for “boring” or “wearing away”. or Piddocks, shipworms have taken this specializa- In the biblical story of Noah, the instruction to coast tion one step further- they are entirely reliant on his ark with pitch “inside and out” was likely not wood as their primary food source. This niche has merely for keeping out water. driven the evolution of a form that stretches the bi- Northern Australia is a hotspot of shipworm

Society information Victorian Branch President: Rachel Przeslawski Secretary Michael Lyons, 19 Banksia Street, Black- Vice President Kirsten Berkendorff burn, VIC 3130. Phone (03) 9894 1526. (Michael Treasurer Don Colgan [email protected]). Meetings at the Melbourne Secretary Carmel McDougall Camera Club, cnr. Dorcas and Farrars Streets, South Journal editor Winston Ponder Melbourne, on the third Monday of each month. No Newsletter editor Vacant meeting in January, July or December. Council members Chris Talbot Queensland Branch Rosemary Golding Meetings are held at 6:30 pm on the last Tuesday of Shane Penny each month except December at the TLC Building, All enquiries and orders should be sent to the Secre- 20 Peel Street, South Brisbane,. Correspondence: Ma- tary, Carmel McDougall, at [email protected] lacological Society of Australasia, Queensland Branch, The Society’s Newsletter and the journal Molluscan PO Box 15064, City East, QLD 4002. Phone (07) Research, published three times a year, are sent to all 3848 9270 (H) or email [email protected] members. NSW Branch Membership fees 2012 NSW Branch meetings are held at 2 pm on the fourth Includes Molluscan Research and MSA Newsletter and Saturday of each month at the Ryde-Eastwood discounted registration at Molluscs 2012 Leagues Club, 117 Ryedale Rd, West Ryde, Sydney. Ordinary members (Aust., Asia, W.Pacific) $A70 Contact Steve Dean, email [email protected] Ordinary members (Rest of the world) $A100 Newsletter Extra family member $A5 Affiliate organization $A100 Guest Editor: Rachel Przeslawski, Coastal Marine and Student member $A45 Climate Changes Group, Geoscience Australia ACT 2601. Phone (02) 9649 9101, email Membership fees are preferably paid via the website [email protected] www.malsocaus.org. To pay by paper, send to Mala- Layout: Des Beechey, Malacology Department, Aus- cological Society of Australasia, c/o Dr. Don Colgan, tralian Museum, 6 College St, Sydney, NSW 2010. Australian Museum, 6 College St, Sydney, NSW 2010. This publication is not deemed to be valid for taxonomic purposes (See article 8b in International Code Web Site www.malsocaus.org of Zoological Nomenclature 3rd Edition (1985).

Molluscs in the Media

Cross-dressing mollusc in coital cunning, The vertising to potential rivals that it had found a suitable Australian and AFP, 5 July 2012 mate. Male cuttlefish are known to mimic female colour- Tracking keeps abalone on the touch-screen ation to deter potential rivals while courting a female. menu, The Australian, 15 May 2012 Researchers recently saw this phenomenon taken to a whole other level when male mourning cuttlefish in Since February, it has been mandatory for Tasmania’s commercial abalone divers to carry GPS loggers on Sydney varied colour patterns on either side of their their boats and depth recorders on their dives. The bodies. On the side of its body adjacent to the female data collected from these devices assists with the sus- it was courting, the male would display very vibrant tainable management of the state’s most valued fish- pulsating black and white stripes typical of the male ery. In this way, Tasmania’s commercial abalone in- sex display. On the other side of its body, however, it dustry is leading the world in adopting techniques for would display the well-camouflaged mottled brown of electronic data collection, spatial data methods, and practical harvest management strategies. the female it was courting, presumably to avoid ad-

2 Shipworms (Cont.) abundance and diversity, and my research has cen- els over different time periods throughout the year tered on describing the demographics, seasonality and at several sites in northern Queensland. This has and competition in shipworm communities. Though allowed us to build a full understanding of how ship- much of the past research on shipworms has been worms recruit to, compete within, and ultimately applied with the aim of mitigating the economic destroy these habitats, and how the life history char- damage they cause, Australia has seen a wealth of acteristics of tropical Australian shipworms shape literature on the biology and ecology of shipworms. the composition of these communities. My research has built upon this background, and Our research has found that shipworms live a seeks to use shipworms as a model group to answer ‘supercharged’ life- growing and maturing extremely much broader ecological questions. I am interested rapidly (I have recovered reproductive males at un- in the strategies species use to seek competitive ad- der 2mm in length, and females at under 4mm), re- vantage, especially in environments where food, producing year-round, and releasing considerable space and other resources are at a premium, and the numbers of offspring. One of the most striking results was the sheer diversity of species competing for such a specific resource, with 19 species in 6 genera recorded. Rather than drive the extinction of rarer shipworm species, this patchy, specialized habitat actually permits greater coexistence, as no one species or genus can dominate enough habitat patches to gain an evolutionary upper hand to the exclusion of all others. This fits the predictions of ‘patch- dynamic’ metacommunity models, and is a promising sign that shipworms can be used to test further ecological paradigms of competition and coexistence. In all, I recorded over 60,000 shipworms, and in the process of identifying, photographing and measuring these samples I discovered one of the Illustration of the posterior end of a shipworm species was as yet undescribed. I had the great opportunity to work with the Malacology collection at impact these have at the ‘metacommunity’ and popu- the Australian Museum and formally describe and lation levels. But how do we assess habitat quality, name this species. I chose the name Lyrodus turnerae quantify competition, or know what interactions pri- in honour of Ruth Turner, who was the world’s fore- marily shape these communities? most expert on the Teredinidae, and conducted a The characteristics of shipworms and their thorough survey of Australia’s shipworm fauna in niche make them an excellent system to address the early 1970s. questions like these. Shipworms are fairly diverse, with over 60 species in 16 genera, and species commonly coexist- I have found 10 different species from 5 genera in a single wood panel. There are a variety of different life-history strategies that we can examine and compare, including the free-spawning of gametes vs the brooding of larvae before release. They are sessile, so every piece of wood is in essence a small, independent community. Wood is surprisingly rare in the marine environment, and it can be rapidly destroyed by shipworm burrowing, so there is a great deal of pressure to grow and reproduce quickly, sending out planktonic larvae to colonize new habitats. They have few predators or other com- Illustration for the anterior end of a shipworm petitors within wood, so these communities are pri- marily shaped by interactions between and amongst There are still many opportunities for novel shipworm species. Lastly, as shipworms consume research with shipworms, from investigating more their habitat, the availability of food and living space effective anti-fouling treatments of wood, to answer- are synonymous. This has enabled us to use the ing questions of their biology- we still don’t know number and size of shipworms in a piece of wood as what exact chemical cue shipworms settle to, and a direct measure of that habitat’s quality, and of the understand little about the symbiotic bacteria that competitive stress faced by the community within. provide their ability to break down wood. In the big- My work has involved using wood recruitment pan- ger picture, accurate taxonomy of the Teredinidae

3 Shipworms (Cont.) can be difficult, and a detailed phylogeny integrating Fauna of Dampier, Western Australia. Perth: The West Aus- physical and molecular characteristics would shed tralian Museum. pp. 345-362. Cookson L, Scown D. 1999. Recent Wood Preservation Re- light on what defines a valid species. Shipworms are search in Australia. Defence Science & Technology Organi- a fascinating group with great scientific potential that zation (DSTO-GD-0287). pp. 172-195. I believe deserves broader awareness and attention. Ibrahim (Marshall) JV. 1981. Season of settlement of a number I’m now in the final stages of writing my PhD thesis, of shipworms (Mollusca: Bivalvia) in six Australian harbours. Australian Journal of Marine & Freshwater Research 32: 591 and I look forward to seeing what new directions the -604. future holds. MacIntosh H. 2012. Lyrodus turnerae, a new teredinid from I would like to thank the MSA for giving me eastern Australia and the Coral Sea (Bivalvia: Teredinidae). the opportunity to share my research. If you are in- Molluscan Research 32: 36-42. terested in reading more about shipworms in Austra- Turner RD. 1966. A Survey and Illustrated Catalogue of the Teredinidae. Cambridge, Mass. USA: Museum of Compara- lia, I recommend the following literature: tive Zoology, Harvard University. 265 p. Brearly A, Chalermwat K, Kahkai N. 2003. Pholadidae and Turner RD, Marshall JV. 1972. Survey of Marine Borers 1970- Teredinidae (Mollusca: Bivalvia), collected from mangrove 1972. The family Teredinidae in Australian waters. CSIRO habitats on the Burrup Peninsula, Western Australia. In: Project P5-11. The University of New South Wales Project Wells FE, Walker DI, Jones DS, (eds). The Marine Flora and 12-045-15

Outcomes of the Mollusc Research Grants 2012 Dr Kirsten Benkendorff, Vice President, MSA Email: [email protected]

This year we received 17 very strong applications for Several student projects were also highly com- the Molluscan Research Grants. The applicants came mended by the committee and these students have from 14 different intuitions, including four overseas been offered one year membership to the Austral- and 5 states of Australia. The projects encompassed asian Malacological Society:- a diverse range of molluscan research, including in- Julieta Martinelli, Macquarie University “How ac- tertidal ecology, nutrition, statolith ageing, palaeon- quainted are next-door neighbours in the Great Bar- tology, taxonomy, molecular phylogeny, chemical rier Reef? Bivalve genetics, implications for taxon- ecology, bioactive peptides and molluscides from omy and conservation” plants! So again the selection committee had some very tough decisions to make. Two projects were Samuel Robinson, Monash University “Novel pep- selected for research grants this year:- tides form the venom of Conus victoriae” Dr Kevin Bonham: To facilitate SEM images for Gary Motz, The University of Cincinnati inclusion in his book on “Tasmanian Land Snails” “Morphologic variation and taxonomic diversity in a encompassing 80 species and ~20 new genera. highly escalated system: Miocene predator/prey in- Mr David Rudd, PhD Candidate, Flinders Univer- teractions of the Indo-Pacific” sity of South Australia: To support microscopy and Anne Winters, University of Queensland “The evo- molecular genetics costs towards characterising “The lution of aposematism in opisthobranch molluscs” role and transmission of ciliated protozoa in the hypobranchial gland and egg masses of a predatory We look forward to hearing a project summary from Caenogastropod”. each of these successful applicants in future issues of Shell News.

Guest Editor for the Next Issue

Dr Carmel McDougall will be the Editor of the next issue of the MSA Newsletter. Please send contributions her at [email protected]

Please send articles as WORD documents and images as separate JPG or TIFF files, not embedded in WORD documents.

Mysteries of a Common Snail Rachel Przeslawski, Geoscience Australia Email: rachel. [email protected]

As with many marine biologists, I’m fascinated disappearing capsules, thereby allowing me to esti- by animals from strange and unfamiliar environ- mate the age of 386 egg capsules. At the end of the ments – deep sea fish, giant polar isopods, chemo- study, I removed embryos from random capsules synthetic clams – but recent research has shown me and classified them according to their developmental that animals living right next to us are often just as stage. The persistence of egg capsules in rockpools intriguing. was highly variable, ranging from 1– 54 days. Never- I first came across the black periwinkle snail theless, encapsulation period was strongly related to Nerita melanotragus during my PhD research at Wol- developmental mode, and competent larvae and longong when I performed several experiments on crawling juveniles were recorded from some capsules gastropod embryos from a range of species. This after an encapsulation period of 35 or more days. herbivorous species is commonly used in ecological These results indicate that egg capsules can persist studies due to its abundance along most rocky shores for much longer than expected for species with a of temperate Australia. Adults often shelter in damp strict planktonic developmental mode. In addition, crevices or rockpools during low tide, and the dis- the offspring of N. melanotragus can hatch as crawling tinct white egg capsules of this species can be seen juveniles, thereby challenging the accepted status of near them most of the year (Przeslawski 2008). The N. melanotragus as a consistent planktonic developer. early development of this species has previously It’s not just the developmental biology of this species that’s remained a mystery. The black periwinkle snail in Australia was considered a single species (Nerita atramentosa) until recent molecular and morphological research revealed that is actually at least two different species, N. atramentosa in southern Australia and N. melanotragus in eastern Australia and New Zealand (Waters et al. 2005, Spencer et al. 2007). Any differences in reproductive biology of these two species have yet to be discovered. Despite the fact that this species is considered common and abundant, the recent phylogenetic and reproductive research that I described here has shown us how little we know about so-called familiar species.

REFERENCES Przeslawski R. 2008. Temporal patterns of gastropod egg mass deposition on south- eastern Australian shores. Marine and Fresh- water Research 59, 457-466. been reported as planktonic, meaning that offspring Przeslawski R 2011. Notes on the egg capsule and hatch from the egg capsule as swimming larvae variable embryonic development of Nerita (Anderson 1962, Underwood 1975). I was therefore melanotragus (Gastropoda: Neritidae). Molluscan quite surprised to see several fully developed juvenile Research 31(3): 152-158. snails crawl from an egg capsule that I’d been cultur- Spencer HG, Waters JM, Eichhorst TE. 2007. Tax- ing in the laboratory for several weeks! onomy and nomenclature of black nerites from This simple but unexpected observation led to a the South Pacific. Invertebrate Systematics 21: 229- postdoctoral research project on the embryonic de- 237. velopment of N. melanotragus (Przeslawski 2011). Waters JM, King TM, O’Loughlin PM, Spencer HG. Over two months, I regularly took photos of rock- 2005. Phylogeographical disjunction in abun- pools in which N. melanotragus capsules occurred. I dance high-dispersal littoral gastropods. Molecular compared photographs over time to identify new or Ecology 14: 2789-2802.

Report on the International Abalone Symposium 2012 P.S. York Email: [email protected]

The International Abalone Symposium show- duction related issues such as abalone nutrition, cul- cases wide-ranging abalone-related research ranging ture conditions, reseeding, disease, genetics and se- from applied aquaculture to biosecurity, genetics, lective breeding was also well presented. disease, and ecosystem management. Held every four However, not all research presented related years since 1990, this symposium attracts leading directly to abalone production. For example, Nor- abalone researchers and industry professionals from man Ragg presented a rather interesting - and effec- locations as diverse as Australia, the USA, South Ko- tive - approach to validating heart rate measurement rea, South America, Thailand, South Africa, and Brit- in molluscs, which involved attaching electrodes to ish Columbia. the left thoracic region of a partially submerged Mr The 2012 conference opened with an exhibitor PotatoHeadTM toy. In addition, Natasha Botwright bump-in on the Sunday afternoon, at the magnifi- and Gene Wijffels chaired a workshop in which the cent waterfront Hotel Grand Chancellor in Hobart. development of a molluscan database of gene se- The next morning opened with a welcome dance quences and related data was extensively discussed. performed by the Tasmanian Aboriginal Youth Further workshops were devoted to conservation, Dance Group, followed by an official opening by the biosecurity, and product certification. Governor of Tasmania, and an address by the Dep- A reception by the Governor at Government uty Premier. The house followed the presentations and Monday presenta- posters over the tions where dele- four days of the gates mingled with conference were members of the generally of an Armed Forces and exceptional stan- Police in their full dard. Each day dress uniforms. had three parallel Proceedings would streams of pres- presumably have entations or been enlivened workshops run- even further had ning, and an obvi- some of the Kiwi ous effort had delegates carried been made to out their plot to keep research perform the Haka topics separate in the Tasmanian and avoid clashes; Governor’s ball- Abalone, the focus of LAS 2012. Photo by C. McDougall this was a clear room. Also memo- necessity, given rable was the tour the sheer volume of presentations. of the Museum of Old and New Art, held immedi- The conference showed a distinct emphasis on ately prior to the Symposium dinner. Surprisingly, aquaculture and fisheries-related research, and it was although dinner was excellent, abalone was not on particularly fascinating to compare the issues en- the menu. countered between different approaches to abalone This conference was well-organised and run, production. An entire workshop was devoted to sea- the wide range of academic and industry profession- based abalone farming, and Tony Legg provided an als who attend this event allowed for substantial net- in-depth analysis of the issues involved. Land-based working, and the research presented there was topi- systems were also well represented; of particular note cal, rigorous, and fascinating. In short, this event is a was the brilliantly innovative recirculated tank design must for anyone who deals with abalone; in fact, the of Michael Tait, which caused most of the room to only realistic downside to the International Abalone furiously scribble diagrams and pester him with Symposium is that it is only held every four years. questions. Further excellent research on specific pro-

Society News

The Future of MSA Branches Please send comments and concerns regarding this to The MSA council has recently approached the MSA [email protected]. branches (QLD, NSW, VIC) to discuss the future of Honorary Degree for MSA Member formal branches in the Society. The impetus for this Bruce Marshall was recently awarded a Doctor of includes the following: Science degree from Victoria University of Welling- Communication between the MSA and its ton. Bruce is the collection manager of molluscs at branches has been quite poor in the past few the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa years, with a few notable exceptions. and a frequent contributor to Molluscan Research. The Both the branches and the MSA are finding it degree was based on the impressive range of taxa he difficult to fulfil their constitutional requirements has studied and the amount he has contributed to regarding branch affiliation. human knowledge, including 451 described new spe- The benefit to both the branches and the MSA of cies. The examiners described Bruce as ‘the leading maintaining formal branch membership is un- authority on the taxonomy and systematics of living clear, as the MSA is referred very few members molluscs in New Zealand’, who has ‘significantly en- from branches, and the MSA’s insurance cover hanced our understanding of the diversity, systemat- does not cover the full extent of branch activities ics and biogeography of the malacofauna of the south (e.g. field trips). -west Pacific.’ They were particularly impressed with Bruce’s research achievements in light of his museum MSA council discussed these issues and is proposing responsibilities. that the maintenance of formal branches of the MSA be dissolved and replaced with a less formalised rela- Online Journal Access Now Available tionship not restricted to the constitutional points MSA members now have online access to all related to branches. issues of Molluscan Research published by Magnolia Potential benefits of switching from branches to Press. This does not affect the print copy of the jour- these affiliate organisations would include: nal which will be posted as usual to all members. To Affiliate organisations would not be restricted to arrange online access, login to the website by going to one per state or territory. www.malsocaus.org and clicking on the ‘Join/Login’ The MSA would be able to adapt to relationships tab at the top of the page. The first page that appears with each affiliate more readily. is the individual member’s dashboard. If you wish to Adding and removing affiliates from the MSA have online access to the Molluscan Research Journal, would be a much quicker process, as it could be edit your details in the "My Account" tab on this done at the discretion of the MSA council and dashboard and change the 'Molluscan Research' option affiliate, rather than at the MSA AGM. to "online". Click “save details” to complete. The MSA council aims to resolve this issue at the Once this change is made an “Access Journals” AGM in December, either through the replacement tab appears in the member’s dashboard. Click this of branches with affiliates or amendments to our and a new login page appears. This uses the same Constitution. username and password as the main login page and Obviously this is a major decision, and we want to get will direct you to a list of journal articles available for as many of our branches and members’ feedback as downloading. possible. If you have any difficulty, please email member- [email protected]

Forthcoming Events

SAGE 2013 The 2nd international Southeast Asian Gateway Evo- Cephalopod International Advisory lution meeting, SAGE 2013, will take place from the Committee Conference Brazil 2012 11th to the 15th of March 2013 in Berlin, Germany. The meeting focuses on the origin, diversification, The next CIAC Symposium will be held in Flori- and conservation of Southeast Asia’s megadiverse anópolis (Santa Catarina, Brazil), 27 October to 2 fauna and flora against the background of the region’s November 2012. complex geology and climate history. Information on Website: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/CIAC/ registration, fees, etc. can be found at the conference website: (www.sage2013.org). 7

People: Comings and Goings

Dr Simon Grove was one of his first major successes and helped to I am delighted to announce a new lad on the awaken a generation of students and enthusiasts to local malacological ‘block’. Dr Simon Grove has re- the fascinating world of the Mollusca. His articles cently been appointed Senior Curator, Invertebrate have been carried by over 150 magazines, with photo- Zoology, at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery graphs being reproduced by the National Geographic in Hobart. Society, Time Life and Readers Digest. One of his Simon is already well known for his two publica- latest works, the Nudibranchs Encyclopedia, Cata- tions on molluscs – A Systematic List of the Marine Mol- logue of Asia/Indo-Pacific Sea Slugs contains over luscs of Tasmania and The Seashells of Tasmania: a Compre- 3000 photographs, and showcases not only the ex- hensive Guide , plus his website (A guide to the seashells traordinary beauty and species diversity of this group, and other marine molluscs of Tasmania at but also documents many regional colour variations, www.molluscsoftasmania.net). and undescribed species. One of Neville’s particular Simon’s principal interest in molluscs is marine strengths was that he always attempted to collect gastropods, and he is already updating his Tasmanian voucher specimens so that accurate identifications of list of species. Surprisingly for us malacologists, his photographic subjects could be made by experts. Neville has received numerous awards through- Simon is actually an experimental ecologist, and he out his career, including the Banksia Environmental Foundation's Marine and Waterways Award for his Australian Marine Photographic Index, and the Div- ing Industry and Travel Association of Australia's Scuba Excellence Award for his contribution to underwater education. He also received an Honorary Fellowship from the Australian Institute of Profes- sional Photography, and was the first professional underwater photographer in Australia to win the highest commendations from both the Australian Photographic Society and the Australian Institute of Professional Photography. He was an honorary life of the Australian Marine Conservation Society. In January 2011 he was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia, “for service to conservation and Simon Grove and Richard Willan in Darwin the environment through the photographic documen- tation of Australian marine species.” holds his degree from James Cook University (Cairns His own description of his colourful life can be Campus). He was employed by Forestry Tasmania found on his website: until late last year. www.nevillecoleman.com.au/explorer.aspx Simon recently spent a week here in Darwin ~ Peter J.F. Davie with me learning techniques and examining the molluscan collection. He intends to attend Molluscs 2012 in Melbourne in December, so that will be an opportunity to meet him. Welcome Simon! ~ Dr Richard Willan Neville Coleman Neville Coleman, OAM, a pioneer of underwater exploration and photography, died on Saturday 5th of May in Brisbane. He was 74. A champion of marine education and conservation, he had an encyclopaedic knowledge of marine life, built through a lifetime spent underwater. He Neville Coleman’s nudibranch bible Nudibranch Encyclo- authored and co-authored some 65 books, many of pedia, Catalog of Asian/Indo-Pacific Sea Slugs which are used as standard references by amateurs and professionals alike. His 1975 What Shell is That?