American Malacological Society Newsletter Spring 2015 NEWSLETTER OF THE AMERICAN MALACOLOGICAL SOCIETY

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY DEPARTMENT OF MALACOLOGY, ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES 1900 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN PARKWAY, PHILADELPHIA PA 19103-1195, USA

VOLUME 46, NO 1. SPRING 2015 http://www.malacological.org ISSN 1041-5300

ANNOUNCEMENTS

and Marine Molluscs. Open sessions are also available for presentations outside of these themes. Keynote speaker: Alison Sweeney (University of Pennsylvania) AMS Auction: As usual, we will host an auction at the meeting to raise funds for student research awards. In fact, all AMS funds that are available for these awards come from funds raised during the auction and so it is important that we have many THE AMERICAN MALACOLOGICAL SOCIETY 81ST contributions to include. It’s always quite fun as ANNUAL MEETING well! Auction items can be anything that may be of interest to potential bidders (books, reprints, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN BIOLOGICAL STATION trinkets, etc., but no specimens please!). Please PELLSTON, MICHIGAN bring appropriate items with you to the meeting or AUGUST 28-31, 2015 box them up, label the box with “hold for AMS auction” and mail the box(es) to Tom Duda at 1109 Submitted by Thomas Duda, Jr., AMS President Geddes Avenue, Ann Arbor MI 48109. If you could The 81st annual meeting of the American also provide an approximate value of the item(s), Malacological Society will take place from August this would help the auctioneer establish an 28-31, 2015 at the University of Michigan appropriate starting bid. Biological Station in Pellston, Michigan. The Please visit the meeting website (http://bit.ly/ program includes a keynote speaker, symposia and AMS2015) to learn more about AMS 2015. special sessions, contributed talks and posters, an auction to earn funds to support student research, If you have any questions about the meeting, please Welcome Reception, Banquet and opportunities for email Tom Duda ([email protected]). field excursions. Much more additional information about AMS 2015 and links to register and submit abstracts can be found at the meeting website ! (http://bit.ly/AMS2015). Deadline for early OTHER UPCOMING MEETINGS registration: May 31, 2015. Deadline for abstract submission: June 15, 2015. Submitted by Ángel Valdés, AMS President- Symposia and special sessions: Early Career elect Malacologists, Conservation of Molluscs, Great The 82nd Annual Meeting of the AMS will take Lakes Malacology, Invasives, Larval Biology of place in June 2016 in Ensenada, Mexico, in Molluscs, Phylogeny, Pacific Island Land Snails Page !1 American Malacological Society Newsletter Spring 2015 conjunction with the Western Society of position is for one year with the possibility of Malacologists. Preliminary dates are June 9-13. renewal for up to three years, contingent upon The conference will include an AMS sponsored continued project funding and satisfactory symposium and field trips. More details will be performance. Salary will be commensurate with provided during the Annual Meeting in experience. Michigan. To Apply: Candidates must have a PhD or equivalent experience in Biology, Malacology, or a related discipline, and a demonstrated record of scientific publication. To apply, please send a brief ! description of previous research (1 page), a CV, and OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS contact information for three references to [email protected]. The anticipated start date is Postdoctoral Position Available September 1st 2015. Position is open until filled. Submitted by Rory Mc Donnell UCR is an affirmative action and equal opportunity A postdoctoral position is available in the employer with a commitment to workforce Department of Entomology at the University of diversity. AA/EOE California Riverside to work on ‘Attractant-based For more information, contact detection and control methods for invasive snail Rory Mc Donnell species’. Although powerful pheromonal or food Department of Entomology based attractants have been identified for numerous University of California invasive insect species, very little work has been Riverside, CA 92521 done to explore the chemical ecology of snails and Email: [email protected] slugs, especially with regard to exploiting the chemical cues that they use to find host plants or the chemical signals that they use for intraspecific communication (e.g., reproductive interactions). ! What little work has been completed has been CONTRIBUTIONS FROM MEMBERS relatively superficial but even these preliminary studies have clearly shown that chemical cues and Melbourne R. Carriker Student Research Award signals play a major role in a wide range of Report gastropod behaviors (feeding, homing, avoidance of Submitted by Nina T. Mikkelsen predators, and a variety of social and reproductive University Museum of Bergen, University of Bergen, behaviors). Norway. [email protected] This project is a collaborative effort headed by Drs. Out of the three recognized families within the Jocelyn Millar (UC Riverside), Rory McDonnell shell-less, worm-shaped Chaetodermomorpha (= (UC Riverside), and Amy Roda (USDA-APHIS- ), Prochaetodermatidae is the most PPQ). The postdoc will be supervised by Dr. Mc species rich and widespread family. The Donnell, but will also work closely with the other Prochaetodermatidae are primarily found in the PIs. The successful candidate will be expected to deep sea, where they can reach high abundances, develop and execute high throughput, quantifiable and have in some areas been reported to exceed bioassays for the efficient assessment of attraction even polychaetes in numbers (Scheltema 1997). to various odor sources, including conspecifics, food items, crude extracts and fractions thereof, and The family is unique among the reconstructed blends of candidate attractants. Chaetodermomorpha, as their radula has a row of Bioassays will need to be developed for both central plates between paired rows of lateral teeth, laboratory and field bioassays. and they possess a pair of jaws (Salvini-Plawen 1975). The genera in other families of Candidates should have expertise and experience in Chaetodermomorpha are defined based on radular gastropod biology and behavior. Familiarity with morphology, but the prochaetodermatid radula chemical ecology will be an asset. Regardless of differs little between the genera, and so far no prior experience, we expect the candidate to morphological pattern has been defined. Instead, the develop a wide-knowledge base and skillset. The Page !2 American Malacological Society Newsletter Spring 2015 shape, sculpture and organization of the sclerites The preliminary results presented here provide have been used to define the genera (Ivanov & support for the validity of the species included in Scheltema 2001, 2008; Scheltema & Ivanov 2000). the study and the monophyly of Prochaetoderma. Although Prochaetodermatidae have been On the other hand, they raise interesting questions thoroughly investigated and mapped in many areas about the monophyly of the remaining genera and (e. g., Ivanov & Scheltema 2001, 2008; Scheltema relationships between the genera, in particular the & Ivanov 2000), no hypotheses have been proposed polyphyletic Spathoderma and Claviderma. This for the internal relationships of this family, and the study indicates that the 16S gene can contribute to validity of genera and species has been debated (e. recovering relationships within g., Salvini-Plawen 1992, Scheltema & Ivanov Prochaetodermatidae, but it is inadequate to fully 2000). resolve the relationships between the genera within this family. The results presented are part of a larger The objective of this study is to use molecular data study based on morphology and molecular methods, to investigate the phylogenetic relationships within where the data presented here is combined with and between the genera of Prochaetodermatidae. sequences from additional genes to produce a robust Sequencing of the cytochrome c oxidase 1 gene phylogenetic hypothesis of the relationships within (COI), which has been widely used for species the Chaetodermomorpha. identification and has shown to be useful in revealing lower level relationships in molluscs, has proven to be difficult in Prochaetodermatidae. Attempts with universal primers successfully used to amplify COI in other Chaetodermomorpha, as well as primers designed specifically for Prochaetodermatidae, have been unsuccessful for most species. We therefore sequenced an alternative marker, the mitochondrial ribosomal LSU 16S (Embrador et al. 2015, Marin et al. 2015), another fast evolving gene, which has also been shown to be useful for inferring phylogenies in molluscs (e.g., Piertney et al. 2003, Schander et al. 2003, Valdes Figure 1. Phylogenetic tree of 12 species of 2003). Prochaetodermatidae, based on Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood analyzes. Posterior probabilities and bootstrap We analyzed DNA sequences from 12 different support values are shown on the nodes. Katharina tunicata species, of which 6 were identified as yet (Polyplacophora, from GenBank) was used as an outgroup. undescribed species based on characters of the spicule coat. In the resulting trees (Figure 1), Acknowledgements sequences from species where multiple specimens Sequencing was partially funded by a Melbourne R. were available are clustering together with high Carriker Student research award from the American support, however many of the deeper nodes in the Malacological Society. I am grateful to my tree are poorly supported. Prochaetoderma is the supervisors Endre Willassen and Christiane Todt for only genus with multiple species included in the continuing help and support, and to K. M. analyzes, which is recovered as monophyletic. The Halanych, K. M. Kocot and H. Kano who provided species of Spathoderma and Claviderma are material for sequencing. Sequencing was carried out polyphyletic, clustering together in two different at the Biodiversity Laboratories at the Department clades, together in one clade with Chevroderma. A of Biology, University of Bergen. close relationship between Spathoderma and References Claviderma might be supported by shared Embrador, M. D. M., A. G. D. Gan, C. M. S. Guanzon, C. J. M. morphological characters: sclerites lacking a keel Romilla, R. P. Luber, and I. K. Fontanilla. 2015. Testing the and three or more rows of sclerites surrounding the utility of two mitochondrial genes (Cytochrome C oxidase I and 16s ribosomal RNA) as DNA barcodes for the family oral shield. The ambiguous placement of the species Muricidae (Gastropoda, ). The Philippine Biota in these genera is reflected in the low support 46(1): 37-46. values, and needs further investigation. Ivanov, D. L. and A. H. Scheltema. 2001. Prochaetodermatidae of the Western Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea (Mollusca:

Page !3 American Malacological Society Newsletter Spring 2015 Aplacophora). Mémoires Du Muséum National D'histoire the accessibility of the data stored, and allowing its Naturelle 185: 9–38. use for the study of biodiversity. Ivanov, D. L. and A. H. Scheltema. 2008. Western Atlantic Prochaetodermatidae from 35°N south to the Argentine Basin It is recommended that biological collections were including the Gulf of Mexico (Mollusca: Aplacophora), managed by permanent institutions, capable of Zootaxa 1885: 1-60. properly organizing the elements and ensuring the Marín, A., T. Fujimoto, and K. Arai. 2015. The variable 5ʹ end of the 16S rRNA gene as a novel barcoding tool for scallops accessibility to the information. An example of (Bivalvia, Pectinidae). Fisheries Science 81(1): 73-81. these institutions in Argentina is the Museo de La Piertney, S. B., C. Hudelot, F. G. Hochberg, and M. A. Collins. Plata, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina. (2003). Phylogenetic relationships among cirrate octopods (Mollusca: Cephalopoda) resolved using mitochondrial 16S The biological collections in Museo de La Plata all ribosomal DNA sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and together contain more than 3 million objects, which Evolution 27: 348-353. are under the supervision of six of the fifteen Salvini-Plawen Lv. 1992. On certain Caudofoveata from the Divisions. http://www.museo.fcnym.unlp.edu.ar/ VEMA-Expedition. In: areas_y_divisiones. Gittenberger, E. and J. Goud, eds., Proceedings of the 9th International Malacology Congress; Edinburgh. Leiden, Mollusks form an interesting and attractive group of Unitas Malacologica. organisms, not only for collectors, but for the Salvini-Plawen, L. V. 1975. Mollusca Caudofoveata. Marine human society. They also play an important Invertebrates of Scandinavia 4. Universitetsforlaget, Oslo, Norway. economic and sanitary role. Most of them are Schander, C., K. M. Halanych, T. Dahlgren, and P. Sundberg. exploited as an alimentary resource (e.g. 2003. Test of the monophyly of Odostomiinae and Crassostrea gigas, Illex argentinus, among others). Turbonilliinae (Gastropoda, Heterobranchia, Pyramidellidae) Many groups of mollusks are related to the based on 16S mtDNA sequences. Zoologica Scripta 32: transmission of parasites (e.g. schistosomiasis), 243-254 Scheltema, A. H. 1997. Aplacophoran Molluscs: Deep-Sea cause plagues like terrestrial snails, or are Analogs to Polychaetes. Bulletin of Marine Science 60(2): introduced (e.g. the golden mussel Limnoperna 575–583. fortunei, the snail Achatina fulica) producing an Scheltema, A. H. and D. L. Ivanov. 2000. Prochaetodermatidae impact in both natural and anthropogenic of the Eastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea environments. (Mollusca: Aplacophora). Journal of Molluscan Studies 66: 313-362. The following article will describe the importance Valdes, A. 2003. Preliminary molecular phylogeny of the of the material stored in the Mollusks Collection of radulaless dorids (Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia), based on Museo de La Plata. It will also explain the work 16S mtDNA sequence data. Journal of Molluscan Studies 69: 75–80. realized by the Division Zoología Invertebrados, most specifically by the Malacology Section, which is in charge of the Collection. ÷ Mollusks Collection in the Museo de la Plata, The Role of the Malacology Section Argentina The main purpose of Museo de La Plata consists in Submitted by Ortiz Blanche1, M. E.; Cao1, L.; G. guarding collections that are representative of the Darrigran1,2 & C. Damborenea1,2 cultural and natural patrimony of South America, as 1División Zoología Invertebrados (DZI), Museo de well as increasing the knowledge and diffusion of La Plata (FCNyM-UNLP) their information. This is achieved by scientific 2Investigador CONICET investigation, academic training and extension Introduction activities. In this context, the Mollusks Collection owned by the Museo de La Plata constitutes the Collections are a group of things (elements, objects, evidence of this group’s diversity in the marine, items), generally of the same class, put in order and terrestrial and freshwater environments of South grouped in response to a special interest or value. America in general and Argentina in particular. Given the quantity and diversity of information The three main activities that concern to the saved in all the biological collections around the administration of a natural collection within an world, it would be best if they were organized Institution are: care, growth and accessibility. These following a common pattern. This would erase the activities should reach a balance in order to develop interference of classification differences, increasing

Page !4 American Malacological Society Newsletter Spring 2015 a harmonic and sustainable management (Simmons freezer. The sample is completed by a voucher, & Muñoz-Saba, 2003). generally the rest of the organism or photographs. The Mollusks Collection of the Museo de La Plata (8) Accessibility: the records are being digitalized in is one of the most important in Latin America Access data bases. In 2011 the Division Zoología (Darrigran et al., 2014) due to the following facts: Invertebrados initiated a record publishing project in the Sistema Nacional de Datos Biológicos (1) It contains near 13,150 lots. (SNDB-MINCyT; Damborenea & Darrigran, 2013). (2) The oldest objects are dated from the middle It is expected that the records are available in the XIX Century. SNDB portal in 2016, each one with its generic or (3) Malacologists and other researchers around the specific identification. country collaborate with new donations every year. In addition, the Malacological Section counts with (4) The collection includes lots collected by optical microscope and photographic equipment outstanding specialists such as Berg, Batlet, available for the researchers that visit the collection. Durione, Spegazzini, Moreno, Lahille, Doello (9) Activities: the main activities developed in the Jurado, Weyrauch, Parodiz, Hylton Scott, Malacological Section are the following: Frengüelli, Castellanos, Birabén, Bonetto, among - Administration: it consists in the accession, others. cataloging and loan of the material. There have (5) Important scientific expeditions had contributed been 1,700 new cataloged lots in the last 5 years; 26 with material to this collection, such as Hasler of those are type material and 70 were loaned to 1870-1871, Hauthal 1898, Bentart 1898, Moreno researchers and PhD students. 1893, FCEN-UBA 1920, Monte Hermoso 1948, HC - Research: the Malacological Section has 4 Senior Patagonica 1953, Butantan 1949, Shimkai Maru XI Researchers from the Consejo Nacional de 1979, and SAO 1971, among others (Darrigran et Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) al. 2011). and the Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de (6) Its geographical extension covers the whole la Provincia de Buenos Aires (CIC), PhD students Argentinian territory, Islas Malvinas (Falkland and postdoctoral fellows. Their purpose is to Islands) and the Antarctic land. It also includes lots increase the knowledge about native and exotic from other South American countries. mollusks in Argentina. (7) Its conservation status. The Mollusks Collection The Section also receives many visitors. In the last management applies different methods of 5 years, 20 of them were national scientists, while conservation: 15 came from other countries. a) Dry Collection: it consists mainly on the - Teaching: The Division Zoología Invertebrados mollusks shells. These parts are stored in bags, and the Biological Sciences Teaching Degree boxes and drawers that protect the material from the (FaHCE-UNLP) united to generate pedagogic external conditions and biological damage (e.g. material for TIC (“Information and communications fungus infestations) technologies”) through “Fichas Malacológicas” in b) Wet Collection: it contains complete organisms the “Boletín Biológica” electronic magazine fixed and then preserved in ethanol or, in a few (www.boletinbiologica.com.ar). In addition, two cases, in formaldehyde. researchers from the Malacological Section teach the subject Malacology at the Universidad Nacional c) Processed Material: some lots are conserved as de La Plata (FCNyM, UNLP), for both the degree processed material for analysis in different formats: and the PhD students. -Histological cuts for optical microscopy analysis. - Diffusion: A project called “Bioinvasión del -Stubs for scanning microscopy study. mejillón dorado en costas del río Uruguay” (Darrigran et al. 2012a) was carried out d) Tissues Collection: in 2011, the Division started by the Instituto de Formación Docente (IFD) “Dr. a specific collection for molecular studies, in which R. J. Carcano” (Monte Caseros-Corrientes); the each sample consists of a little portion of foot Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la tissue, conserved in absolute ethanol and stored in a Educación (UNLP) and the División Zoología Page !5 American Malacological Society Newsletter Spring 2015 Invertebrados of Museo de La Plata. This generated number of variables, each one divided in diagnostic an interesting interaction between scientists, levels are analyzed. The main variables determine teachers and society. the conservation, identification, storage and documenting status of the collection lots. First of - Expositions: all, the person in charge of the analysis determines 1) During 2009, the Division Zoología the status of the variables for the 10% of the Invertebrados through the Malacological Section collection (Darrigran et al. 2012b). Until June 2014, realized the temporal and itinerant exposition 2,795 lots had been analyzed. The results of the denominated “Bioinvasions: A Threat to analysis show that 53% of the CSM is in acceptable Biodiversity”. The finality of this exposition was to conditions. Nevertheless, the optimal conditions commemorate the International Day for Biological determined by the institution standards have not Diversity (05-22-2009) proclaimed by the been reached and further work should be realized. Organization of United Nations (ONU), focusing on The most important problems that the collection the problem of exotic species invasions. faces are related to the storage conditions. This 2) In 2011 the same institution realized the temporal increases risk of deterioration that may produce loss exposition “Bioinvasions and sustainability” in the of material. ExpoUniversidad. The stand included expositions During the period 2015-2016 the CSM will be from the museums owned by Universidad Nacional moved to a special section, with controlled de La Plata (UNLP). temperature and humidity. Also the collection lots 3) In 2015, a temporal exposition of “Marine will be stored in metal drawers. This will protect mollusks and their consumption” in the Museo de la them from biological damage (e.g. fungus Plata. infestation). Importance and Maintenance of the Mollusk References Damborenea, C. & G. Darrigran 2013. La digitalización de la Collection of Museo de La Plata Colección Malacológica del Museo de La Plata y el Sistema As it was mentioned previously, this Collection is Nacional de Datos Biologicos. 1er. Congreso Argentino de one of the most important in Latin America. This is Malacología 18al 20 de septiembre de 2013- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo (UNLP). La Plata. due not only to the topics indicated before, also Darrigran, G. 2013. Colecciones Malacológicas Oficiales because it is a dynamic collection, studied by Latinoamericanas. Actas: 192. 1er. Congreso Argentino de national and international researchers, and thus Malacología (1CAM). 18 al 20 de septiembre de 2013. enriched by its use. Asociación Argentina Malacología (ASAN). La Plata. http:// www.malacoargentina.com.ar/ Collections should be constantly monitored to Darrigran, G.; M. Tassara & V. H. Merlo Álvarez. 2011. ensure their preservation and to improve the Colecciones Malacológicas del Museo de La Plata (UNLP), conservation status of their material (Ortiz Blanche Argentina: riqueza y distribución geográfica. VIII Congreso et al., 2013). Monitoring consists on a systematic Latinoamericano de Malacoloigía. Puerto Madryn, Junio de 2011. VIII CLAMA. Libro de Resúmenes: 315. and objective method of evaluation, which gives Darrigran, G.; S. Binni; T. Legarralde; S. Borgo; A. Vilches; B. comparable and quantifiable information. This is Gabott; C. Damborenea; M. Tuntisi & L. Mujica. 2012a. important for an efficient distribution of the Estudio Ambiental de una Bioinvasión Acuática a través de la management resources. Triangulación. VII Congreso de Medio Ambiente (Organizado por Comité Medio Ambiente de AUGM-22/24 In order to compare the results obtained in the de mayo de 2012, UNLP, La Plata. Argentina) http:// analysis with other public institutions that has congresos.unlp.edu.ar/index.php/CCMA/7CCMA/paper/ malacological collections, the Malacological viewFile/1078/282 Section has started a program for Latin American Darrigran, G.; M. Ortiz Blanche & C. Damborenea. 2014. Evaluation of the dry Malacology Collection of Museo de La Public Collections Curators (CoPLa) (Darrigran, Plata. Argentina. Acta Mollusca 2014. El Encuentro de Las 2013). This program will allow the exchange of Américas, pag 243-244. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de experiences and information between institutions, México, Ciudad Universitaria, D.F. México. 22 al 27 de junio improving the administration of the collections. de 2014. http://www.mollusca2014 Darrigran, G.; C. Damborenea & G. Pastorino. 2012b. Currently, the Malacological Section is evaluating Malacological collection, Museo de La Plata (Argentina): the Mollusks Dry Collection (CSM) of the Museo value and profiling as a tool for management. Acta: 109. XI de La Plata (Fig. 2 and 3). For that purpose, a International Congress on Medical and Applied Malacology. 25 al 29 de septiembre de 2012. Rio de Janeiro. Brasil. Page !6 American Malacological Society Newsletter Spring 2015 Ortiz Blanche, M.; S. Soria; G. Darrigran & C. Damborenea. threatened, or critically in danger of extinction. Art 2013. Actividad de la Seccion Malacologia del Museo de La has been and is eagerly sought by government Plata. RES. 1er. Congreso Argentino de Malacología. 18 al 20 agencies, academics, museum personnel, and field de septiembre de 2013. La Plata. Simmons, J.E. & Y. Muñoz-Saba. 2003. The theoretical bases workers for his knowledge of this unique and of Collection management. Collection Forum 18 (1-2): 38-49. fascinating molluscan fauna He is generous with his knowledge and time to increase the scientific, ÷ government, and general public’s knowledge of this important fauna. Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. Art Bogan ÷ Submitted by Alan Gettleman Mid-Atlantic Malacologist Meeting – 2015 Dr. Arthur E. Bogan of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences received the Lifetime Submitted by Elizabeth K. Shea, Timothy A. Pearce, Achievement Award from the Freshwater Mollusk and Charles F. Sturm Conservation Society (FCMS) at their joint meeting The 17th Mid-Atlantic Malacologists meeting was with the Upper Mississippi River Conservation held on 7 March 2015 at the Delaware Museum of Commission (UMRCC) held at St. Charles, Natural History and was hosted by Dr. Elizabeth Missouri on March 25, 2015. The FCMS is the Shea, curator of mollusks. There were 29 in only national organization specifically targeted to attendance and 15 presentations were given. Thanks the study, preservation, and conservation of to all the participants for another fun and freshwater gastropods and bivalves. Art Bogan is informative day! only one of ten researchers so honored during the twenty year history of the organization.

Figure 1. The 2015 Mid-Atlantic Malacololgists. Front row: Carlo M. Cunha, Makiri Sei, Liz Shea, Aydin Ӧrstan, Beysun Ӧrstan, Francisco Borrero, Rich Goldberg, Paul Callomon Figure 1. Dr. Art Bogan, accepting the award. Middle row: Ilya Tëmpkin, Matt Miller, Megan Paustian, Gizelle Batomalaque, Norine Yeung, Colleen Winters, Brad Art is a noted expert in the field of freshwater Stevens, Asel Zhetigenova, Kacie Goldberg. bivalves, not only in this country but also Back row: Nasreen Aziz, Tim Pearce, Gary Rosenberg, Richard worldwide with several trips to Viet Nam and Kaplan, Leigh Deuter, Ken Hayes, Charlie Sturm, Jerry Malaysia to study freshwater bivalves. He has Harasewych, John Wolfe, Adam Baldinger, Sam Tuttle authored several monographs on state freshwater Not pictured: Amanda Lawless, Nate Schoobs, Jim Young. mollusks and a checklist for the world’s freshwater James Young, USDA APHIS. Mollusk bivalves; and conducted identification seminars for Interceptions in the Mid-Atlantic. A brief government and field workers. overview of the snails and slugs intercepted in cargo and baggage entering and destined to the mid- The freshwater bivalves are considered one of the Atlantic region in 2014 was presented. most, if not the most, endangered group of any group of , not just mollusks, on the planet. Aydin Ӧrstan, Research Associate, Carnegie A majority of the U.S. freshwater naiad (mussel) Museum of Natural History. North American bivalves are either extinct, protected by the U.S. Succineid Anatomy Project. A presentation was Endangered Species Act as either endangered or given regarding anatomical characterizations of

Page !7 American Malacological Society Newsletter Spring 2015 succineid species from the Delaware Peninsula and Bradley G. Stevens and Bhae-Jin Peemoeller. Maryland. University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Age, Growth, and Maturity of New England Whelks, Adam Baldinger, Museum of Comparative Busycotypus canaliculatus. Increased fishing Zoology, Harvard University. Land snails of pressure on whelks has potential to overharvest Anegada Island (British Virgin Islands). A them because many are harvested before they have presentation was given documenting the land snail had a chance to reproduce. diversity of Anegada Island (BVI). Carlo M. Cunha. Academy of Natural Sciences, Norine Yeung1 and Kenneth Hayes2. 1Bishop Philadelphia. Reassessment of Phycophyla Museum, Honolulu, 2Howard University. Hawaiian euchlora. A taxonomic reassessment was given for Succineidae Systematics and Conservation. A this opisthobranch from Hawaii. great deal of taxonomic revision awaits, but there are many more species still extant in Hawaii. A Asel Zhetigenova. The Distribution of Some review of the Succineidae was presented. Species of the Family Bradybaenidae from the Issyk-Kul Lake Basin, Kyrgyzstan. Ponsadenia Timothy A. Pearce, Carnegie Museum of Natural duplocincta, Bradybaena phaeozona, and History. Land Snails of Pennsylvania: updating Bradybaena plectotropis are the most widespread distribution maps and imperilment ranks. land snails in the Issyk-Kul Lake basin in the Surveys of land snails over the past 14 years update Kyrgyz Republic, in the Tian-Shan Mountains. The species distribution maps. New, justifiable three species showed parallel polymorphism in imperilment ranks indicate that dozens of banding, intensity of bands, and shell color. For all Pennsylvania snails are of conservation concern and species, banded shells and bright bands dominated need more study. over unbanded shells and blurred bands. Dark shells Ilya Tëmkin, National Museum of Natural History were associated with shaded canyons while light (Smithsonian Institution) and Northern Virginia shells were more frequent in drier and open Community College. Dawn of Malacology, Part 2: habitats. In this area with a dry climate, humidity Art and Science of G. S. Poli. This contribution might be a primary factor affecting the spread of reviews an extraordinary panel made from shells by terrestrial mollusks. Giuseppe Saveris Poli, an 18th -19th century Italian Nate Shoobs, Undergraduate student, Bard College. naturalist, presumably from specimens from his Land Snail Diversity on Montserrat. This own collection. This “Conchigliera” is still presentation dealt with the various biogeographic preserved at the Poli family house in Molfetta, Italy. zones on Montserrat and the land snails to be found Kenneth Hayes1, Wallace Meyer2, Norine Yeung3, in each of them. and John Slapcinsky4. 1Howard University, Francisco J. Borrero¹, Juan M. Díaz², and Carlo Washington, DC, 2Pomona College, Claremont, M. Cunha¹. ¹Academy of Natural Sciences, 3Bishop Museum, Honolulu, 4Florida Museum of Philadelphia, ²Universidad Nacional Bogota Natural History, Gainesville. Cryptic Diversity of Colombia. Observations of Shallow, Near-Shore Euglandina species. Euglandina was introduced Underwater Habitats and Biota in the Goajira from Florida to Hawaii in the late 1950s as a bio- Peninsula of Colombia (Southern Caribbean). control agent. It now appears that more than one Selected sections of a video, done on the context of species of Euglandina was introduced to Hawaii. explorations to elucidate the history of a fishery for Many more species of Euglandina occur in Florida the Caribbean pearl oyster Pinctada imbricata was than have been described from Florida. This shown. Current status of the fishery and population presentation reviewed the current state of ecology was reviewed. Selected segments depict knowledge. live mollusks as well as other invertebrates and fish, Gary Rosenberg. Academy of Natural Sciences, and a little about the current human inhabitants of Philadelphia. Type Collection Imaging. A status the Goajira, the Wayuu peoples. report was given about the digital imaging project M. G. ‘Jerry’ Harasewych. National Museum of of the mollusk type collection at the Academy of Natural History (Smithsonian Institution). Mollusca Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, including imaging of the deep reef off Curaçao. By diving in a deep equipment for different sized shells. sea submersible, we recovered bottles from the sea

Page !8 American Malacological Society Newsletter Spring 2015 floor. The bottles contained shells that had been left by octopus. Elizabeth K. Shea. Delaware Museum of Natural History. InvertEBase. The Mollusk department was recently awarded a NSF ADBC grant to digitize the land and freshwater holdings and make them available via the web. This collaborating grant includes co-PIs from the Field Museum, University of Michigan, Auburn, Penn State, the Cleveland Museum, and Harvard.

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MESSAGE FROM THE NEWSLETTER EDITOR Contributions to the biannual AMS newsletter are always welcomed. Send articles, short notes or news items to Christine Parent, the newsletter editor, at the following address:

Department of Biological Sciences University of Idaho Moscow ID 83844 E-mail: [email protected]

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