The types of Recent and certain fossil opisthobranch molluscs in the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris Ángel VALDÉS & Virginie HÉROS Laboratoire de Biologie des Invertébrés Marins et Malacologie, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, 55 rue de Button, F-75231 Paris cedex 05 (France) [email protected] [email protected] Valdés A. & Héros V. 1998. — The types of Recent and certain fossil opisthobranch mol­ luscs in the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris. Zoosystema20 (4): 695-742. ABSTRACT Three hundred and fifty seven lots of Recent and certain fossil opisthobran­ ch mollusc type-specimens deposited in the Laboratoire des Invertébrés Marins et Malacogie of the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN) are catalogued by original binomen and arranged alphabetically within fami­ KEYWORDS lies. Most of the fossil type specimens are housed in the Laboratoire de type specimens, Paléontologie, and therefore are not included in this catalogue. The essential opisthobranchs, bibliographical, geographical and taxonomic information is provided for each Mollusca, MNHN, Paris. taxon. RÉSUMÉ Les types actuels et de quelques fossiles de mollusques opisthobranches du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris. Trois cent cinquante-sept types d'opistho- branches actuels et quelques fossiles déposés au Laboratoire de Biologie des Invertébrés Marins et Malacologie du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN) ont été identifiés et listés par ordre alphabétique d'espèces à l'inté­ MOTS CLES rieur de chaque famille. La plupart des types fossiles se trouvent au types, Laboratoire de Paléontologie et ne sont pas mentionnés dans cette liste. Les opisthobrancnes, principales références bibliographiques, géographiques et taxonomiques Mollusca, MNHN, Paris. accompagnent chaque potte-nom. 1998 -20 (4) 695 Valdés Á. & Héros V. INTRODUCTION whose types ate now in MNHN, and new océa­ nographie expeditions [Cap Horn, Travailleur et In recent years, opisthobranch systematists have Talisman, Diguet expedition to Baja California, become increasingly interested in examining type French Antarctic expeditions, Gravier Expedition material as part of their research. However, the to Djibouti) were an additional source of type scarcity of updated museum opisthobranch type specimens, mostly described by A. Locard, catalogues make this task arduous and time P. Fischer, J. B. M. Vayssière and J. Risbec. consuming. Most museum opisthobranch type During the First and Second World Wars, unlike collections consist of historically important speci­ several natural histoty museums in Europe, the mens for which the identification of type speci­ MNHN collections remained untouched. In mens, and the determination of their status, is these and in the following years, many type spe­ usually difficult to resolve with certainty. Often, cimens were added as a result of the work of old type specimens remain unrecognized in the A. Pruvot-Fol who described material collected general collections, which may house types of abroad and from the French coasts. However the species not expected to be present at that types of many species that she described could museum. never be found, possibly because the specimens The objective of this paper is to document the were discarded after dissection; the extant mate­ present collection and scope of the Recent and rial is mostly that of formal expeditions ot certain fossil opisthobranch name-bearing type museum holdings that were entrusted to her for specimens in the Museum national d'Histoire description. Material from the Calypso expedi­ naturelle of Paris (MNHN). This will facilitate tions was also described by Ev. Marcus. In the late future systematic research based on this material. 1950s, the Fischer family shared the property of Journal de Conchyliologie. E. Fischer-Piette, then professor and director of the Laboratoire de A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE COLLECTIONS Malacologie, donated the type collection of the The Museum national d'Histoire naturelle in Journal, containing a number of opisthobranch Paris (MNHN) was founded in 1793, and short­ rypes. At that time, the Muséum wet collections ly thereafter, the first opisthobranch type speci­ were stored in high glass containers, at the mens were deposited in its collections. The ear- Galerie de Zoologie, the main exhibit building. liest major collections extant are those of the When this gallery was closed to the public in French expeditions to exotic countries, carried 1965 the collections remained there, and many out during the early nineteenth century specimens went dry, or were otherwise damaged. {['Astrolabe, 1' Uranie, Savigny expedition to A new age in the MNHN opisthobranch collec­ Egypt, d'Orbigny expedition to South America, tion, characterized by the internationalization of Peron expeditions to the Indo-Pacific), described the scope of the type collection, started with the by the French classic authors: G. Cuvier, arrival of P. Bouchet on the staff in 1975. He not J. C. Quoy & J. P. Gaimard, J. V. Audouin, A. de only added his own types, but also was instru­ Ferussac, P. S. Rang, A. d'Orbigny, L. F. A. mental in encouraging authors from other coun­ Souleyet. tries to deposit their type specimens in MNHN. In the second half of the nineteenth century, and Many significant types of European and African the beginning of the twentieth century, the species were contributed through the Spanish French carried out a significant collecting effort school (J. A. Ortea, J. C. García-Gómez, and in their colonies in the Caribbean, Africa, Eastern others), and Indo-Pacific material collected by Asia and South-West Pacific. This material, French scientists were described by W. B. added to MNHN collections, was also mainly Rudman (some of them still on extended loan). described by French authors (G. Deshayes, In 1985, the MNHN scientific collections were L. Morlet, A. T. de Rochebrune, P. Fischer). At moved to a new, large underground storage buil­ about the same time, L. Morlet and H. Crosse ding, and the type specimens of Recent and cer­ described several opisthobranch fossil species tain fossil molluscs were separated and placed in 696 ZOOSYSTEM A • 1998 - 20(4) Opisthobranch mollusc type specimens in MNHN a repository in the Laboratoire de Biologie des species-group names, they are listed separately, Invertébrés Marins et Malacologie. However, the unless if they are identically spelled. The essential opisthobranch collection still remained in need taxonomic, geographical and bibliographical of curation for several years. The older type spe­ information is provided for each species-group cimens were stored together with other material name. These data include the name of the species in antiquated fashion, and no longer suitable cited exactly as published in the original descrip­ containers, and it was difficult to find specific tion, the author, date and bibliographic reference, lots. In fact, there are some examples in the recent the type locality as originally printed and its literature of type specimens considered lost modern geographical equivalent, the category (Wàgele 1985, 1990) that have recently appea­ and number of specimens, state of conservation, red. For this reason, the first author of this paper accessory material (e.g. photographs, microscopy was kindly invited in 1995 to work at MNHN as slides, spawn or food of the specimens, paratypes an assistant curator, to reorganize the opistho­ and paralectotypes), and the name of the collec­ branch collection, and separate the type speci­ tor when it is known. The old geographic names, mens. This task, carried out in collaboration with no longer used, are printed between quotation the second author, was concluded during another marks. The names of large geographic areas, short-term stay in 1997, with the final separation countries or archipelagos are translated into and inventory of all type specimens. During this English, but other names are printed in their work, we have also found several types of species local spelling. The state of conservation includes described by authors whose type material was not two main items: "specimen", which refers to spe­ expected to be in MNHN. Some of them are cimens conserved in alcohol complete of soft replacement names, names introduced under the parts, and "shell", when only a shell remain in the Article 70c (ICZN 1985), or specimens appa­ dry collection. When the type specimen held is rently borrowed by A. Vayssière from other insti­ also known to be originally or subsequently figu­ tutions, never returned and later deposited at red it is indicated. All shells (with the exception MNHN. of four nominal species catalogued while the paper was already in press) are illustrated, even if they have been previously figured. Figured speci­ TYPE CATALOGUE mens are individually identified in the collection. The catalogue of Recent and certain fossil types Short remarks with the currently accepted taxo­ of opisthobranch molluscs in MNHN covers nomic status of the species, lectotype designa­ three hundred and fifty-three lots of name-bea­ tions, status as type species of genus-group ring type specimens. However, it does not inclu­ names, or any other useful information are given. de most of the fossil species in MNHN which are No attempt has been made to list the synonyms stored in the Laboratoire de Paleontologie (e.g. of each species, but opinions on the taxonomic the Cossmann collection). status of several names have been included (only This catalogue is restricted to name-bearing when