ISSN 2755-3531
David T. Holyoak & Geraldine A. Holyoak
Abstract. Portuguese populations of Candidula are reviewed using studies of shells and genital anatomy, based on extensive new collections. 12 species of the genus are recognised, 3 of which are newly described. C. intersecta has often been reported from Portugal, but there are only two confirmed records of established populations, from near Lisbon where it may have been introduced. Other Portuguese material hitherto placed as that species is mostly referable to the cryptic species C. olisippensis or C. belemensis, both of which differ from C. intersecta in having a much longer penial flagellum. C. olisippensis occurs widely in W. and C. Portugal northwards from near Lisbon; it is also newly reported here from NW. Spain, SW. England (Lizard peninsula in Cornwall) and the Azores. C. belemensis from WC. Portugal is very close to C. olisippensis in morphology, although usually larger. They are treated as separate species because they coexist extensively on Serra de Sicó and locally on Monte de Vez. The type locality of C. belemensis is restricted here. C. ponsulensis sp. nov. from EC. Portugal, is another cryptic species very close to C. intersecta in both shell characters and genital anatomy. The widespread C. gigaxii is very local in Portugal, with confirmed recent records only from eastern Alentejo, although subfossil shells have been found in the Algarve. The other species recognised are mainly localised endemics of rocky limestone habitats in Portugal, including two species with sharply keeled shells (C. coudensis in S. Beira Litoral; C. setubalensis in the Serra da Arrábida and near Cabo Espichel) and four with rounded shells (C. arrabidensis sp. nov. in the Serra da Arrábida and near Cabo Espichel; C. codia and C. scabiosula in the C. Algarve; C. strucki in the W. Algarve and locally on sand dunes in W. Baixo Alentejo). In addition, C. carrapateirensis sp. nov. is endemic on calcareous coastal sand dunes in the W. Algarve and W. Baixo Alentejo.
Key words. Candidula, Hygromiidae, taxonomy, new species, genital anatomy, Cornwall, France, Portugal, Spain, habitats, distribution
New taxa. Candidula arrabidensis Holyoak & Holyoak, 2014; Candidula carrapateirensis Holyoak & Holyoak, 2014; Candidula ponsulensis Holyoak & Holyoak, 2014
Date of publication. December 2014
Martin J. Willing, David T. Holyoak & Geraldine A. Holyoak
Abstract. Myxas glutinosa was feared extinct at all of its British sites for several years before it was rediscovered in Llyn Tegid (North Wales) in 1998. Results of a study of this population over eleven years are described in this paper. At Llyn Tegid it is restricted to the littoral zone, occurring exclusively beneath boulders and other large stones in silt-free areas. Unlike some populations in Ireland where it does not hide under rocks, the snails occur at low densities, and compared to these and many of the extinct British populations they are small when mature (shell height rarely reaching 10 mm). Repeated sampling of populations for biometrical study suggested that M. glutinosa has an annual life cycle in the lake, with snails reaching full size and reproductive maturity in late winter or spring, shortly before their death. The possible significance of sudden changes in the water-level of Llyn Tegid and its toxic algal ‘blooms’ for the conservation of M. glutinosa are discussed.
Key words. Myxas glutinosa, Llyn Tegid, Snowdonia, lacustrine snails, annual cycle, water depth, cyanobacteria, conservation
Date of publication. December 2014
Jun Chen, Qi Li, Suping Zhang, Linfeng Kong & Xiaoli Wang
Abstract. An iterative analyses in 2011 evidenced that two cryptic species exist in nominal Protapes gallus along the southern coast of China. Herein, after examining additional specimens, stable diagnostic morphological characters were confirmed, and a new species, P. motsei Chen, Zhang & Kong, is described. Colour rays of the new species are extremely narrow and dusky, or even absent, and its zigzag streaks are weak, both features that are distinctly different from the original description of P. gallus. The new species is widely distributed along the southern coast of China.
Key words. Veneridae, Protapes, DNA barcoding, iterative taxonomy, new species
New taxon. Protapes motsei Chen, Zhang & Kong, 2014
Date of publication. December 2014
D.T. Holyoak, G.A. Holyoak, Y.Yanes, J. Santana, J. García, J.M Castro, M. Artiles, M.R. Alonso & M. Ibáñez
Abstract. An undescribed small land-snail discovered recently on Gran Canaria (Canary Islands) is named as Vermetum tamadabaensis. The generic placement is based on close similarity of its shells to those of V. festinans, which is known only by shells from La Palma in the same archipelago. The genital anatomy of V. tamadabaensis shows characters distinctive of Gastrodontidae rather than Pristilomatidae, including presence of a sarcobelum containing a dart and three “bridges”, respectively joining the base of the penis to the free oviduct, the sarcobelum with duct of the bursa copulatrix, and the bursa duct to the epiphallus. Some of the anatomical features suggest affinity to Zonitoides, but others are peculiar.
Key words. Canary Islands, land-snails, endemic, generic taxonomy, genital anatomy
New taxon. Vermetum tamadabaensis Holyoak et al., 2014
Date of publication. December 2014
M.J. Valido, Y. Yanes, M.R. Alonso & M. Ibáñez
Abstract. A new species of Vitrinidae is described from the north-west of La Gomera Island. This is the only Canarian Vitrinidae species with the shell uniformly ribbed on the teleoconch, each rib being provided with a longitudinal row of numerous, small but prominent granules.
Key words. Taxonomy, genital anatomy, island endemic, species richness, shell ribbed and granulated.
New taxon. Insulivitrina raquelae Valido, Yanes, Alonso & Ibáñez, 2014
Date of publication. December 2014
Taxonomy, morphology and distribution of Ancylinae (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Planorbidae) in Argentina
Ximena Maria Constanza Ovando, Luiz Eduardo Macedo de Lacerda & Sonia Barbosa dos Santos
Abstract. The Ancylinae (Planorbidae) comprise freshwater limpets that inhabit limnic environments. This study provides data on taxonomy, general shell morphology, muscle scars and radula of the seven species recorded from Argentina, as well as new distributional records. Shell apex morphology, protoconch sculpture and muscles scar morphology are diagnostic characters for both species and genera in Ancylinae. On the basis of general shell morphology three groups and six genera are recognised. Distribution patterns are presented according to geopolitical divisions with reference to ecoregions. Most species are widely distributed, only a few have restricted ranges. The southernmost records are for Anisancylus in the southwest of Río Negro province. The genus Uncancylus is widely distributed, Hebetancylus is concentrated in the north of Argentina whereas the genus Sineancylus is restricted to few localities.
Key words. Planorboidea, anatomy, freshwater snails, limpets, South America
Date of publication. December 2014
Willy De Mattia & Barna Páll-Gergely
Abstract. The hygromiid land snail Xerocrassa muehlfeldtiana (Rossmässler 1837) was reported from several localities in the western Balkans by previous authors. Evaluation of the taxonomic history of Rossmässler’s name revealed that it is a junior synonym of Helicopsis striata (O. F. Müller 1774), which therefore cannot be applied to populations from the Balkans. There is, however, an available and geographically appropriate name for that species: Xerocrassa rhabdota (Sturany 1901). In this paper, we redescribe the shell and anatomy of X. rhabdota based on newly collected material from Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Additionally, we compare the anatomy and shell of X. rhabdota with the type species of the genus (X. seetzeni (L. Pfeiffer 1847)), and the three congeners known from the central and the continental part of southeastern Europe (Balkan Peninsula), namely Xerocrassa geyeri (Soós, 1926), Xerocrassa cretica (L. Pfeiffer, 1841) and Xerocrassa poecilodoma (O. Boettger, 1894).
Key words. Drought tolerant land snail species, anatomy, taxonomy, nomenclature, Balkans
Date of publication. December 2014
J.M. Castro, Y. Yanes, R. García, M.R. Alonso & M. Ibáñez
Abstract. A new, small (<6 mm), endemic land snail species discovered recently on La Palma (Canary Islands) is described and named as Janulus traviesus. The generic placement of this new species is based on the close similarity of its shell shape and size to those of the other Macaronesian Janulus species.
Key words. Canary Islands, land snails, endemic, taxonomy
New taxon. Janulus traviesus Castro, García, Alonso & Ibáñez, 2014
Date of publication. December 2014
Vietnamese Clausiliidae (Gastropoda: Pulmonata): new taxa and novel distribution data
Jozef Grego, Hao Van Luong, Sang Van Pham & Miklós Szekeres
Abstract. Based on materials from recent field trips Grandinenia gabijakabi Grego & Szekeres sp. nov. (from Quang Binh Province), Grandinenia steffeki Grego & Szekeres sp. nov. (from Nghe An Province), Oospira abstrusa ginkae Grego & Szekeres subsp. nov. (from Dien Bien Province), Oospira naggsi Luong & Szekeres sp. nov. (from Dong Nai Province) and Phaedusa (P.) abletti Pham & Szekeres sp. nov. (from Dien Bien Province) are described as new taxa. The re-discovery and exact localities of Oospira bouddah (Bavay & Dautzenberg), Formosana (F.) coudeini (Bavay & Dautzenberg) and Liparophaedusa pseudauregani (Dautzenberg & Fischer) are also reported. The relationship between the Garnieriinae genera Neniauchenia Nordsieck and Grandinenia Minato & Chen is re-evaluated, and the geographical distribution of Vietnamese clausiliids is discussed.
Key words. Clausiliidae, taxonomy, zoogeography, Vietnam
New taxa. Grandinenia gabijakabi Grego & Szekeres, 2014; Grandinenia steffeki Grego & Szekeres, 2014; Oospira abstrusa ginkae Grego & Szekeres, 2014; Oospira naggsi Luong & Szekeres, 2014; Phaedusa (Phaedusa) abletti Pham & Szekeres, 2014
Date of publication. December 2014
Ahmet Öktener, P. Graham Oliver & Dilek Türker Çakir
Abstract. Veliger and pediveliger stages of Mytilus cf. galloprovincialis are observed attached to the pleonites of the parasitic isopod Mothocya epimerica living in the branchial chamber of the fish, Atherina boyeri. The bivalves are attached by byssus threads to the isopod and to each other. It is suggested that this is an accidental association that comes about by the intake of drifting post larval stages whose byssus becomes entangled with the appendages of the isopod. While epibiontic bivalves are known to attach to the exoskeletons of decapod crustaceans this is the first record of attachment to parasitic isopods.
Key words. Epibiosis; bivalve; isopod; Sea of Marmara
Date of publication. December 2014
A new species of Adelopoma from São Paulo urban park, Brazil (Caenogastropoda, Diplommatinidae)
Claudio Mantovani Martins & Luiz Ricardo L Simone
Abstract. A new species of diplommatinid land snail, Adelopoma paulistanum sp. nov., is described from neotropical S. E. Brazil. The type locality is the urban Park Burle Marx, in São Paulo City, São Paulo State, a highly endangered habitat. The new species is differentiated from the eight known neotropical species, by size, number of ribs on the whorls and sharpness of the apex. An anatomical description is included, showing reno-pericardial structures pallially located, relatively simple pallial gonoducts, aphally, and a highly concentrated nerve ring. Conservation initiatives are necessary in order to preserve the scarce habitat of this animal.
Key words. Diplommatinidae; Adelopoma; conchology; anatomy; taxonomy; São Paulo, endangered species
New taxon. Adelopoma paulistanum Martins & Simone, 2014
Date of publication. December 2014
A new species of Nassaria Link, 1807 (Gastropoda, Buccinidae) from East China Sea
Shuqian Zhang & Suping Zhang
Abstract. A new species of the genus Nassaria Link, 1807 is described and illustrated from the East China Sea. Nassaria varicosa sp. nov., has a medium sized, broad shell with a peculiar sculpture that distinguishes it from congeners.
Key words. East China Sea, Buccinidae, Nassaria, new species
New taxon. Nassaria varicosa Zhang & Zhang, 2014
Date of publication. December 2014
Tom Van den Neucker & Kevin Scheers
Date of publication. December 2014
Kaliella barrakporensis (Pfeiffer), a new hot-house alien in Britain [Short Communication]
Richard C. Preece and Fred Naggs
Date of publication. December 2014
Book review: Malakozoologie in Stichworten by Klaus-Jürgen Göttings
Jan Steger
Date of publication. December 2014
Book round-up: Three recent non-marine publications
Ben Rowson
Date of publication. December 2014
Hazel Maureen Meredith (1932–2014) [Obituary]
June Chatfield & Ben Rowson
Date of publication. December 2014