Some molluscs are easy to identify – others present a satisfying challenge!
Society members are usually happy to offer identification tips and advice at our field or indoor meetings.
The following are among the most up-to-date and comprehensive guides recommended for identifying British and Irish molluscs.
Terrestrial snails and slugs
- Cameron, R. A. D. 2008. Keys for the identification of land snails in the British Isles. FSC Publications, Preston Montford, UK. 83 pp.
- Rowson, B., Turner, J. A., Anderson, R., & Symondson, W. O. C. 2014. Slugs of Britain and Ireland: identification, understanding and control. FSC Publications, Preston Montford, UK. 140 pp.
- Welter-Schultes, F. W. 2012. European non-marine molluscs, a guide for species identification. Planet Poster Editions, Göttingen, Germany. [Also includes freshwater species]
Freshwater snails and bivalves
- Killeen, I., Aldridge, D., & Oliver, G. 2004. Freshwater bivalves of Britain and Ireland. Field Studies Council, Preston Montford, UK. 114 pp.
- Rowson, B., Powell, H., Willing, M., Dobson, M., & Shaw, H. 2021. Freshwater Snails of Britain and Ireland. FSC Publications, Preston Montford, UK. 192 pp.
- Glöer, P. 2019. The freshwater gastropods of the West-Palaearctis: indentification key, anatomy, ecology, distribution. Volume I: Fresh- and brackish waters except spring and subterranean snails. Svenja Muchow, Neustadt/Holstein, Germany. 399 pp.
- Piechocki, A. & Wawrzyniak-Wydrowska, B. 2016. Guide to Freshwater and Marine Mollusca of Poland. Bogucki Wydawnictwo Naukowe, Poznań, Poland. 280 pp.
- Welter-Schultes, F. W. 2012. European non-marine molluscs, a guide for species identification. Planet Poster Editions, Göttingen, Germany. [Also includes terrestrial species]
Marine molluscs
- Oliver, P. G., Holmes, A. M., Killeen, I. J. & Turner, J. A. 2016. Marine Bivalve Shells of the British Isles. Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales, UK. http://naturalhistory.museumwales.ac.uk/britishbivalves
- Picton, B., & Morrow, C. 2023. Nudibranchs of Britain, Ireland and Northwest Europe, Princeton University Press, USA. 360 pp.
- Wigham, G.D. & Graham, A. 2017. Marine Gastropods 1: Patellogastropoda and Vetigastropoda. Synopses of the British Fauna (New Series) 60. The Linnean Society of London / FSC Publications, Preston Montford, UK.
- Wigham, G.D. & Graham, A. 2017. Marine Gastropods 2: Littorinimorpha and other, unsassigned, Caenogastropoda. Synopses of the British Fauna (New Series) 61. The Linnean Society of London / FSC Publications, Preston Montford, UK.
- Wigham, G.D. & Graham, A. 2018. Marine Gastropods 3: Neogastropoda. Synopses of the British Fauna (New Series) 62. The Linnean Society of London / FSC Publications, Preston Montford, UK.
- Wigham, G.D. 2022. Marine Gastropods 4: Heterobranchia 1. Synopses of the British Fauna (New Series) 63. The Linnean Society of London / FSC Publications, Preston Montford, UK.
- Jones, A. M., & Baxter, J. M. 1988. Molluscs: Caudofoveata, Solenogastres, Polyplacophora and Scaphopoda. London. Synopses of the British Fauna (New Series) 37. The Linnean Society of London / Estuarine and Brackish-water Sciences Association by E.J. Brill / Dr. W. Backhuys, Leiden, Netherlands.
Older versions of the Society’s website featured two simple online keys which may still be useful for beginners:
Simple key to British & Irish garden and freshwater snails
These pages are designed to help you get started with the identification of some British and Irish species of mollusc.
By reading the text beside an image and clicking on the image which is most like your specimen, you should arrive at the name of the species with a description and image of it. In some cases you will only arrive at an aggregate of species because further identification would require dissection. This is particularly true of terrestrial slugs because external features are not distinct enough to make a decision.
Should you arrive at a description which does not match your specimen, use the 'bread-crumb trail' at the top of the page below the main menu in order to go back and try again.
This Garden Snail will take you to pages to help with the identification of garden molluscs found in Great Britain and Ireland
The image to the right will take you to pages to help with the identification of British and Irish species of the family Vertiginidae.
This Pond Snail will take you to pages which will help you to identify species of freshwater and brackish-water snails found in Great Britain and Ireland.
This image of Buccinum undatum will lead you to a key to larger species of marine snails which live on rocky shores around the British Isles. The key is included in 'Rocky shore snails as material for projects' by Dr. J. H. Crothers, published by Field Studies Council, in Field Studies Volume 10, 601–634 (2003).