1. Books for the identification of British marine molluscs
  2. Books for the identification of British marine molluscs

Books for the identification of British marine molluscs

The following list is not exhaustive but is a good general resource to identify the marine species found in Britain. Note that some of those listed are out of print but copies can usually be obtained from good second hand book sellers.

  • Alder, J. & Hancock, A. 1845-1855. Monograph of the British nudibranchiate Mollusca. 7 parts. Folio Series, Ray Society, London.
  • Bouchet, P., Danrigal, F. & Huyghens, C. (Eds.) 1979. Living Seashells: Molluscs of the English Channel and Atlantic Coasts. Blandford Press, Poole, Dorset. 144pp.
  • McMillan, N.F. 1968. British Shells. Frederick Warne & Co Ltd, London. 196pp. Species are figured by line drawing, monochrome or coloured plates.
  • Graham, A. 1988. Molluscs: Prosobranch and pyramidellid gastropods. Synopses of the British fauna (NS) no. 2 (2nd edition). E.J. Brill, Leiden. Comprehensive, and each species is figured with a line drawing.
  • Jones, A.M. & Baxter, J.M. 1987. Mollusca: Caudofoveata, Solenogastres, Polyplacophora and Scaphopoda. Synopses of the British fauna (NS) no. 37. Academic Press, London. Best source available: each species is figured with a line drawing
  • Nordsieck, F. 1968. Die Europäischen Meeres-Gehäuseschnecken (Prosobranchia). Gustav Fischer Verlag. Stuttgart. 273pp.
  • Nordsieck, F. 1969. Die Europäischen Meeresmuscheln (Bivalvia). Gustav Fischer Verlag. Stuttgart. 256pp
  • Nordsieck, F. 1972. Die Europäischen Meeresschnecken (Opisthobranchia mit Pyramidellidae, Rissoacea). Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart. 327pp.
  • Nordsieck, F. 1982. Die Europäischen Meeres-Gehäusesschnecken. Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart. 539pp.
  • Picton, B.E. & Morrow C.C. 1994. A Field Guide to the Nudibranchs of the British Isles.Immel Publishing. 143pp. Each species illustrated in colour, photos by the senior author.
  • Poppe, G.T. & Goto, Y. 1991. European Seashells Volume I (Polyplacophora, Caudofoveata, Solenogastra, Gastropoda). Verlag Christa Hemmen. 221pp. Species illustrated on coloured and few monochrome plates.
  • Poppe, G.T. & Goto, Y. 1993. European Seashells Volume II (Scaphopoda, Bivalvia, Cephalopoda). Verlag Christa Hemmen. 352 pp. Species illustrated on coloured and few monochrome plates.
  • Reid, D.G. 1996. Systematics and evolution of Littorina. Monograph no. 164. The Ray Society, London. 463pp.
  • Tebble, N. 1966. British Bivalve Seashells. British Museum (Natural History). 212pp. Contains line drawings, monochrome and colour plates.
  • Thompson, T.E. 1976. Biology of Opisthobranch Molluscs Volume I. The Ray Society, London. 207pp.
  • Thompson, T.E. & Brown, G.H. 1984. Biology of Opisthobranch Molluscs Volume II. The Ray Society, London. 229pp. This, and the above, authoritative works are lavishly illustrated with line drawings and colour plates.
  • Thomson, T.E. 1988. Molluscs: benthic Opisthobranchs (Mollusca: Gastropoda). Synopses of the British fauna (NS) no. 8 (2nd edition). E.J. Brill, Leiden 356pp. Each species is figured with a line drawing and there are coloured plates of selected species.