The terrestrial and freshwater gastropods of Montserrat: An unprecedented survey of Montserratian neotropical snails Nathaniel F. Shoobs1 and Thomas W. Coote1 1Department of Biology, Bard College at Simon’s Rock, 84 Alford Road, Great Barrington, Massachusetts 01230, USA; [email protected], [email protected] Introduction Materials and Methods • Montserrat is a small volcanically active island in the Caribbean Lesser Antilles • The purpose of this survey was solely to assess the gastropod species richness of that has a diverse and insufficiently studied gastropod population the island • The Lesser Antillean islands in general have been critically overlooked by • Snails were collected upon their discovery while hiking across the island, and the malacologists, hindering our scientific understanding of the evolution and approximate or exact GPS location and the specimen count were recorded diversity of neotropical gastropod ecosystems • The specimens were either drowned in water or placed in a vial of water with • We conducted the largest sampling effort ever to have been conducted on the about two grams of mentholated tobacco for no more than an hour to promote island, increasing the islands’ known gastropod species richness from 15 to at tissue relaxation, and were subsequently fixed in glass vials of 90% ethanol least 21. • Upon our return to the United States, we identified the specimens using the • The field work and subsequent research that we have done potentially original taxonomic authority when possible invalidates certain points of previously published scientific research • Small tissue punches were collected from most of the collected species for • We have still not fully analyzed all of the data that we collected, and we are molecular genetic analysis that is currently in progress preparing to publish a checklist of species and a phylogenetic analysis of • Subsequent to the tissue collection, the 90% ethanol in each vial was replaced certain potentially novel and enigmatic species with 70% ethanol for optimal preservation. Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Fig. 4 Fig. 5– Shell Plate *Note* images not to scale Results and Discussion Table 1 - Taxonomic Checklist The most important finding of this project is Family! Genus! Species! Plate/ the fact that the current research on the native Fig! Amphibulimidae Amphibulima rawsonis (Bland, Fig. 4" Malacofauna of Montserrat and the Lesser Antilles (Lamarck, 1805)" 1875)" is incomplete. Bass, Bland, and Stevens & (Fischer, 1873)" " " browni (Pilsbry, 1899)" 1A-B" Waldman’s works were used as the basis for the " " Sp. " 3A-B" Durrell Conservation Monograph (Young, 2008) and " Pellicula (Fischer, appendiculata 2A-B" thus most of its taxonomic assertions were made 1856)" (Pfeiffer, 1847)" Bulimululidae Bulimulus guadeloupensis 11, 12" without collecting or observing specimens in the (Bruguière, 1789)" field. The taxonomic checklist in Table 1 is (Tryon, 1867)" (Leach, 1814)" Helicinidae Helicina (Lamarck, fasciata (Lamarck, 9 A-C" comprised of only taxa that we collected in the field 1799)" 1822)" as voucher or potential type specimens. To (Férussac, 1823)" " " guadeloupensis " summarize the findings in the checklist: • Seven whole-body topotypes for Amphibulima " " Lucidella (Swainson, Spp. " 5 A-C, rawsonis Bland were collected, the first complete 1840)" 6 A-C" specimens of A. rawsonis to have been collected Philomycidae (Gray, Pallifera dorsalis (Binney, Fig. 3" • Three Amphibulima browni Pilsbry specimens 1847)" (Morse, 1864) 1842)" were collected, extending its range from Dominica " Pleurodontidae Pleurodonte (Fischer josephinae (Férussac, 10A-B" to Montserrat (see Robinson et al.) (Ihering, 1912)" de Waldheim, 1807)" 1832)" • Bass (2003)’s unidentified nerite specimen was Lymnaeidae Pseudosuccinea (Say, columella (Say, 1817)" 17A-B" 1817) both rediscovered on island and positively (Rafinesque, 1815)" " identified as Neritilia succinea Récluz Neritiliidae (Schepman, Neritilia (von Martens, succinea (Récluz, 18" • Two of the freshwater snail species, Biomphalaria 1908)" 1879)" 1841)" Physidae (Fitzinger, Physa (Draparnaud, cubensis (Pfeiffer, 16" glabrata Say, and Potamopyrgus sp. previously 1833)" 1801)" 1839)" thought to have been present on the island were Succineidae (Beck, Succinea (Draparnaud, candeana (Lea, 1841)" 13" not present at any of our survey sites, and we 1837)" 1801) believe that recent volcanic activity on the island " has either eradicated them or substantially limited " Omalonyx felina (Guppy, 1878)" Fig. 2" their range,. (d’Orbigny, 1837)" • The presence of the invasive Megalobulimus Strophocheilidae Megalobulimus (Miller, oblongus (Müller, Fig. 1" oblongus Müller was confirmed, in addition to (Pilsbry, 1902)" 1878" 1774)" Subulinidae (Fischer & Allopeas (H.B. Baker, micra (d’Orbigny, " what appear to be 2-3 species of veronicellid Crosse, 1877)" 1935)" 1835)" slugs. " Subulina (Beck, 1837)" octona (Bruguière, 14" • Allopeas micra d’Orbigny, Lucidella spp., 1798)" Thiaridae (Gill, 1871)" Melanoides tuberculata (O.F. 15 Pallifera dorsalis Binney, Pellicula appendiculata Müller, 1774)" Pfeiffer, Pseudosuccinea columella Say, Succinea (Olivier, 1804)" " Veronicellidae (Gray, Veronicella (de Sp. Cf. cubensis. " candeana Lea, and Zonitoides sp. cf. arboreus, 1840)" Blainville, 1817)" Cryptic." among others, were reported on the island for the " Sarasinula (Fischer, Sp. Cf. plebeia. " first time. 1868)" Cryptic." " Leidyula (H.B. Baker, Sp. Cf. floridana. " 1925)" Cryptic." Zonitidae (Mörch, 1864)" Zonitoides (Lehmann, Sp. cf. arboreus" 4A-C" 1862)" Acknowledgements References The authors would like to acknowledge the following individuals for their contributions to Bass, T.D. (2003). Comparison of freshwater macroinvertebrate communities from small Caribbean islands. BioScience, 53, 1094-1100. this research: Dr. A.S.H. Breure of Naturalis Biodiversity Center for his assistance in Bland, T. (1875). Note on certain terrestrial mollusks, with description of a new species of the genus Amphibulima. Annals of the Lyceum of Natural identifying Amphibulimid species and his advice; Dr. David T. Bass at The University of History of New-York, 11, 197-200. Central Oklahoma, Dr. G. Thomas Watters at The Ohio State University, and Thomas D.G. Robinson, A. Hovestadt, A. Fields & A.S.H. Breure. (2009). The land Mollusca of Dominica (Lesser Antilles), with notes on some enigmatic or Eichhorst of Conchologists of America for their assistance in identifying N. Succinea; Bob rare species. Zoologische Mededelingen, 83. and Kathy Schmidt for their instruction in taxonomy and systematics; Greig Fields, Ian Stevens, M. & Waldmann, G. (2001). Animal biodiversity of the Lesser Antillean Island of Montserrat (British West Indies): an annotated checklist of Hetterich, Naiomi Pittman, Taylor Polster, Nathan Sadowsky, Clara Woolner, Sam Yarmis, terrestrial and freshwater animals. Archiv zoologischer Publikationen [Martna Galunder-Verlag, Nümbrecht] Band 6: i-viii+1-145. and Molly Ziegler for their outstanding fieldwork and companionship; and the Montserrat Young, R. P. (ed.) (2008). A Biodiversity Assessment of the Centre Hills, Montserrat. Durrell Conservation Monograph No. 1. Durrell Wildlife Department of the Environment for their permission and guidance. Conservation Trust, Jersey, Channel Islands. www.postersession.com www.postersession.com www.postersession.com .