General Information on molluscs Unfortunately the Society is unable to deal with individual enquiries. Below, however, is a list of key references that may be of use. If you have a specific enquiry you might like to try the discussion group ‘Molluscan evolution’ based in Berkeley, California, which reaches a large number of malacologists worldwide. Posting a message to this group may get a response, but please read any FAQ pages first, to avoid repeating common questions.

To subscribe, send an e-mail to listproc@ucmp1.Berkeley.edu with the message ‘subscribe mollusca (your name)’. Archives of the discussion group are maintained at Berkeley. General information for the malacological community - meetings, societies, journals, web sites is available at the Mollia site.

.General Enquiries

UK GCSE to UK ‘A’ level standard

The answer to most general enquiries can be found in biological or malacological textbooks (see sections A, B and some of C, D in the list below), which should be available on loan from town or school libraries.

.Specialised Enquiries

Undergraduate level and above

If your enquiry is of a specialised nature, the texts in C and D of the list below may be of some help and should be available from University libraries. It is possible that there are also research papers on your topic. Research papers are listed by year in the Zoological Record (molluscs are in part 9 each year), and photocopies of the papers can be requested from the British Library at a small cost. Zoological Record is available in University and natural history museum libraries. Alternatively there are numerous on-line search facilities: ask at your library.

If you are still unable to locate the answer to your enquiry, local museums or the Mollusca Section of the Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD may be able to help, and may have access to literature that is not easily available elsewhere.

The Society hopes that the information below is of some use to you.

.Phylum Mollusca

Molluscs show a wide diversity of form superimposed on a basic body plan. They are coelomate animals with a head, a ventral muscular foot, and a dorsal visceral hump. The mantle over the visceral hump often secretes a shell which is largely calcareous; it is produced into a free flap or flaps to enclose a mantle cavity with ctenidia, into which opens the anus and the kidneys. Of the invertebrate phyla molluscs are second only to arthropods in abundance of described species. Over 80,000 living species have been described and some 35,000 fossil species are known. The classificatory scheme for the larger groups of Mollusca has reached a reasonable degree of stability and the phylum has been divided into seven classes - Monoplacophora, Aplacophora, Polyplacophora, Gastropoda, Scaphopoda, Bivalvia and Cephalopoda. In addition there is the class Rostroconchia, composed entirely of extinct molluscs.

.References

A. Texts with some references to molluscs: for general background reading

	Barnes, R.S.K., Calow, P. &	1993. The Invertebrates: A New Synthesis. London, Blackwell.
	Olive, P.J.W.
	Barrington, E.J.W.	1967. Invertebrate Structure and Function. London, T. Nelson & Sons.
	Clarke, R.B.	1964. Dynamics in Metazoan Evolution. Oxford, Clarendon Press.
	Fitter, R. & Manuel, R.	1994. Photo Guide to Lakes, Rivers, Streams and Ponds. London, Collins.
	Hynes, H.B.N.	1972. The Ecology of Running Waters. Liverpool, Liverpool University Press.
	Jeffries, M. & Mills, D.	1990. Freshwater Ecology. London, Belhaven.
	Kume, M. & Dan, K.	1957. Invertebrate Embryology. Washington, National Science Foundation.
	Macan, T.T.	1973. Ponds and Lakes. London, Allen & Unwin.
	Mellanby, H.	1963. Animal life in fresh water. London, Methuen.
	Russell-Hunter, W.D.	1968. A Biology of Lower Invertebrates. New York, Macmillan.

B. Marine texts with some references to molluscs: both elementary and advanced

	Barrett, J.H. & Yonge, C.M.	1964. Collins Pocket Guide to the Seashore. London, Collins.
	Bishop G.	2003. The ecology of the rocky shores of Sherkin Island: a twenty-year
			perspective. Sherkin Island Marine Station, Co. Cork.
	Campbell, A.C.	1994. Hamlyn Guide to Seashores and Shallow Seas of Britain and Europe.
	Eales, N.B.	1950. The Littoral Fauna of Great Britain. Cambridge, C.U.P.
	Eltringham, S.K.	1971. Life in Mud and Sand. London, English Universities Press.
	Erwin, D. & Picton, B.	1987. Guide to Inshore Marine Life. London, Immel Publishing - for the Marine
			Conservation Society.
	Fish, J.D. & Fish, S.	1996. A Student’s Guide to the Seashore. Cambridge, C.U.P.
	Hardy, A.C.	1956. The Open Seas: I. The World of Plankton. London, Collins.
	Hardy, A.C.	1959. The Open Seas: II. Fish and Fisheries. London, Collins.
	Hawkins, S.J. & Jones,	1992. Marine Field Course Guide 1.Rocky Shores.London, Immel Publishing.
	H.D.
	Hayward, P.J. & Ryland,	1990. The Marine Fauna of the British Isles and North-West Europe. 2
	J.S.		volumes. Oxford, O.U.P.
	Hayward, P.J. & Ryland,	1995. Handbook of the Marine Fauna of North-West Europe. (paperback)
	J.S.	.	Oxford, O.U.P
	Hayward, P.J., Nelson-	1996. Collins Pocket Guide to the Seashore of Britain and Northern Europe.
	Smith, A. & Shields, C.		London, Harper Collins.
	Lewis, J.R.	1964. The Ecology of Rocky Shores. London, English Universities Press.
	Pauley, G.	2003. Marine Biodiversity of Guam. Double volume of Micronesia
	Southward, A.J.	1965. Life on the Seashore. London, Heinemann.
	Stanwell-Smith, D., Hood,	1997. A field guide to the pelagic invertebrate larvae of the maritime Antarctic.
	A. & Peck, L.		Cambrige, British Antarctic Survey.
	Wirtz, P. & Debelius, H.	2003. Mediterranean and Atlantic Invertebrate Guide. Hackenheim,
			Conch-Books.

C. Molluscan texts: both elementary and advanced

	Abbott, N. J., Williamson, R.	1995. Cephalopod neurobiology. Neuroscience studies in squid, octopus,
	&Maddock, L. (Editors).		and cuttlefish. Oxford University Press.
	Alexeyev, D. O.	2003. Gastropod seashells of Russia. Moscow, VNIRO Publishers.
	Barker, G.M. (Editor)	2001. The Biology of Terrestrial Molluscs. Wallingford, CABI Publishing.
	Barker, G.M. (Editor)	2002. Molluscs as Crop Pests. Wallingford, CABI Publishing.
	Barker, G.M. (Editor)	2004. Natural Enemies of Terrestrial Molluscs. Wallingford, CABI Publishing.
	Barrientos, Z & Monge-Najera,	2002. Malacologia Latinoamericana Supplement. Costa Rica,
	J. (Editors)		.Revista de Biologia Tropical.
	Beesley, P. L.., Ross, G. J. B.	1998. Mollusca: The Southern Synthesis. (2 vol.) Fauna of Australia, Vol. 5.
	& Wells, A. (Editors)		Collingwood, CSIRO Publishing.
	Bosch, D. T., Dance, S. P.	1997. Seashells of Eastern Arabia. London, Motivate Publishing.
	Moolenbeek, R. G. & Oliver, P. G.
	Boyle, P.R.	1981. Molluscs and Man (Studies in Biology No. 134). London, Arnold.
	Boyle, P.R.	1963. Cephalopod Life Cycles vol. I. Species accounts.London, Academic
	Boyle, P.R.	1987. Cephalopd Life Cycles vol. II. Comparative reviews. London, Academic
	Cameron, R.A.D., Eversham,	1983. A Field Key to the Slugs of the British Isles. Field Studies 5, 807-824.
	Cachia, C., Mifsud, C. &	1991. The marine shelled Mollusca of the Maltese Islands. Part 1:
	Sammut, P. M.		Archaeogastropoda. Marsa, Malta, Grima Printing and Publishing
			Industries.
	Cachia, C., Mifsud, C. &	1996. The marine Mollusca of the Maltese Islands. Part 2:
	Sammut, P. M.		Neotaenioglossa. Leiden, Backhuys Publishers.
	Cameron, R.A.D., Eversham,	1983. A Field Key to the Slugs of the British Isles. Field Studies 5, 807-824.
	B. & Jackson, N.
	Cameron, R.	2003. Land snails in the British Isles. Preston Montford, Field studies Council.
	Chase, R.	2002. Behavior and its neural control in gastropod molluscs. New York,
			Oxford University Press.
	Claassen, C.	1998. Shells. Cambridge Manuals in Archaeology, Cambridge
			University Press.
	Coan, E., Scott, P. V. &	2000. Bivalve seashells of western North America. Marine bivalve
	Bernard, F. R.		molluscs from Arctic Alaska to Baja California. Santa Barbara Museum
			of Natural History monographs No. 2.
	Dance, S.P.	1971. Seashells. London, Hamlyn.
	Dillon, R. T. Jr.	2000. The ecology of freshwater molluscs. Cambridge University Press.
	Dussart, G. (Editor).	2003. Slugs andsnails: agricultural, veterinary and environmental perspectives.
			(Proceedings of the 2003 BCPC Symposium, Canterbury). Bracknell, British Crop Protection Council Publications.
	Falkner, G. Ripken, T. E. J. &	2002. Mollusques continentaux de France – Liste de Referenceannotee et
	Falkner, M.		Bibliographie. Paris, Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle.
	Fretter, V. & Graham, A.	1994. British Prosobranch Molluscs. London, Ray Society.
	Fretter, V. & Peake, J.	1975. Pulmonates. 3 vols (I, II & IIA). London, Academic Press.
	Graham, A.	1988. Molluscs : Prosobranch and Pyramidellid Gastropods. Synopses of the
		.	British Fauna (New Series) No 2 (2nd Edition). Leiden, E.J. Brill
	Hahn, K. O.	2002. Abalone Reference Guide. CD-ROM. Earthlink.Net.
	Hanlon, R. & Messenger, J. B	1996. Cephalopod behaviour. Cambridge University Press.
	Harper, E. M., Taylor, J. D.	2000. The evolutionary biology of the Bivalvia. Bath, Geological Society
	& Crame, J. A.		Special Publication No. 177.
	Henderson, I. (Editor).	1996. Slug and snail pests in agriculture. British Crop Protection Council
			Symposium 66. Bracknell, BCPC Publication Sales.
	Herbert, D. & Kilburn, D.	2004. Field Guide to the Land Snails and Slugs of eastern South Africa.
			Pietermaritzburg, The Natal Museum.
	Higo, S., Callomon, P. &	1999. Catalogue and bibliography of the marine shell-bearing Mollusca
	Goto, Y.	.	of Japan. Japan, Elle Scientific Publications
	Henderson, I. (Editor)	1989. Slugs and Snails in World Agriculture. Thornton Heath, The British Crop
			Protection Council.
	Hyman, L.H.	1967. The Invertebrates Volume VI Mollusca I. New York, McGraw-Hill.
	Gittenberger, E. & Janssen,.	1998. De Nederlandse Zoetwatermollusken. Utrecht, KNNV Uitgeverij.
	A. W
	Godan, D.	1999. Molluscs: their influence in Science, Medicine, Trade and Culture.
			Blackwell Science Ltd.
	Godan, D.	1983. Pest slugs and snails. Biology and Control. Springer-Verlag.
	Gosling, E.	2003.Bivalve Molluscs Biology, Ecology and Culture. Oxford, Fishing
			News Books, Blackwells.
	Jarrett, A. G.	2000. Marine shells of the Seychelles. Cambridge, Carole Green Publishing.
	Johnston, P. A. & Haggart,	1998. Bivalves: an eon in evolution. Vancouver, University of Calgary Press.
	J. W. (Editors).
	Joshi, R., Baucas, N. Joshi,	2003. Scientific information database on Golden Apple Snail (Pomacea spp.).
	E & Verzola, E.		CD-ROM. Laguna, Agricultural Librarians Association of the
		.	Philippines at Los Banos
	Kennedy, V. S., Newell,	1996. The eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica. Maryland Sea Grant College.
	R. I. E & Eble, A. F. (Editors)
	Kerny, M.P. & Cameron,	1979. A Field Guide to the Land Snails of Britain and North-West Europe.
	R.A.D.		London, Collins.
	Kerney, M.P. (Editor)	1976. Atlas of the Non-Marine Mollusca of the British Isles. London,
			Conchological Society.
	Kerney, M.	1999. Atlas of the land and freshwater molluscs of Britain and Ireland.
			Colchester, Harley Books.
	Killeen, I.J.	1992. The Land and Freshwater Molluscs of Suffolk. Ipswich, Suffolk
			Naturalists’ Society.
	Killeen, I. J., Seddon, M. B.	1998. Molluscan conservation: a strategy for the 21st Century. Special .
	& Holmes, A. M.		Publication No. 2 of Journal of Conchology. Conchological society of
			Great Britain and Ireland.
	Killeen, I. J. & Seddon, M. B.	2004. Molluscan Biodiversity and Conservation. Special Publication
			No. 3 of Journal of Conchology. Conchological Society of Great Britain
			and Ireland.
	Killeen, I., Aldridge, D. & Oliver, G	. 2004. Freshwater Bivalves of Britain and Ireland. Preston Montford,
			Field Studies Council.
	Lalli, C.M. & Gilmer, R.W.	1989. Pelagic Snails. The Biology of Holoplanktonic Gastropod Mollusks.
			Stanford University Press.
	Landman, N., Mikkelsen. P.,	2001. Pearls: a natural history. American Museum of Natural History.
	Bieler, R. & Bronson, B.
	Lane, F.W.	1957. Kingdom of the Octopus. London, Jarrolds.
	Lydeard, C., Lindberg, D. R.	2003. Molecular systematics and phylogeography of molluscs. Smithsonian
	& Vermeij, G.J.	.	Books
	McMillan, N.F.	1968. British Shells. London, Warne.
	Macan, T. T.	1977. A key to the British fresh and brackish water gastropods.
			Freshwater Biological Association Scientific Publication 13. (4th Edition.) Kendal, Titus Wilson & Son.
	Meinhardt, H.	2003. The Algorithmic Beauty of Sea Shells. 3rd Edition with CD-ROM.
			Springer-Verlag.
	Mizzaro-Wimmer, M &	2001. Praktische Malakologie. Vienna, Springer-Verlag.
	Salvini-Plawen, L.
	Monge-Najera, J.	1998. Molluscs of economic and sanitary importance in the tropics:
			the Costa Rican experience. CostaRica, INBio.
	Mordan, P., Naggs, F.,	2003. A guide to the pest and exotic gastropods of Sri Lanka. (10 pp.)
	Ranawara, K., Kumburegama,		London, Natural History Museum.
	K. and Grimm, B.
	Morton, J.E.	1963. Mollusca. London, Hutchinson.
	Naggs, F. & Dinarzarde, R.	2002. Sri Lankan snails. (8 pp.) London, Natural History Museum.
	Nakayama, T.	2003. A review of northwest Pacific Epitoniids (Gastropoda: Epitoniidae)
			Leiden, Backhuys Publ.
	Nesis, K.N.	1987. Cephalopods of the World. New Jersey, TFH Publications Inc.
	Nixon, M. & Messenger, J.B.	1977. The Biology of Cephalopods. London, Academic Press.
	Nixon, M. & Young, J.Z.	2003. The brains and lives of cephalopods. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
	Okutani, T., O’Dor, R.K. &	1993. Recent Advances in Cephalopod Fishery Biology. Tokyo, Tokai
	Kubodera, T.		University Press.
	O’Riordan, R. M. Burnell,	1998. Proceedings of the fifth International Symposium on Littorinid Biology,
	G. M., Davies, M. S. &		Cork, 1996. Dordrecht, Kluwer Academic Publishers.
	Ramsay,N. F.
	Oliver, G. & Killeen, I.	2002. The Thyasuridae of the British Continental Shelf and North
			Sea Oilfields. Cardiff, National Museum of Wales.
	Picton, B.E. & Morrow, C.C.	1994. A Field Guide to the Nudibranchs of the British Isles. London, Immel
			Publishing.
	Pfleger, V.	1999. A fieldguide in colour to molluscs. Leicester, Bookmart Ltd.
	Portner, H.O., O’Dor, R.K. &	1994. Physiology of Cephalopod Molluscs. Basel. Gordon & Breach.
	Macmillan, D.L.
	Purchon, R.D.	1968. The Biology of Mollusca. London, Pergamon Press.
	Raven, C.P.	1958. The Analysis of Molluscan Development. London, Pergamon Press.
	Reid, D.G.	1986. The Littorinid Molluscs of Mangrove Forests in the Indo-Pacific Region.
			London, British Museum (Natural History).
	Reid, D.G.	1996. Systematics and Evolution of Littorina. London, Ray Society.
	Roth, B. & Sadeghian, P. S.	2003. Checklist of land snails and slugs of California. Santa Barbara,
			Museum of Natural History.
	Runham, N.W. & Hunter, P.J.	1970. Terrestrial Slugs. London, Hutchinson.
	Runham, N. & Heard, W. H.	1997. Molluscan Reproduction. Supplement 6 of Malacological Reviews.
			Ann Arbor, Malacological Reviews.
	Schileyko, A. A.	1998-2003. Treatise on Recent terrestrial Pulmonate molluscs.
			Supplement 2, Ruthenica.
	Schrodl, M.	2003. Sea slugs of southern South America. Systematics, biogeography .
			and biology of Chilean and Magellanic Nudipleura (Mollusca: Opisthobranchia). Hackenheim, Conch-Books.
	Seaward, D.R.	1982. Sea Area Atlas of the Marine Molluscs of Britain and Ireland. Nature
			Conservancy Council for the Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland, Shrewsbury.
	Seaward, D.R.	1990. Distribution of the Marine Molluscs of North-West Europe. Nature
			Conservancy Council for the Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland, Peterborough.
	Snyder, M. A.	2003. Catalogue of the marine gastropod family Fasciolariidae. Special
			Publication 21, Philadelphia, Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia
	South, A.	1992. Terrestrial Slugs : Biology, Ecology, Control. London, Chapman & Hall.
	Solem, A.	1974. The Shell Makers Introducing Mollusks. New York, John Wiley.
	Street, P.	1961. Shell Life on Seashore. London, Faber.
	Taylor, D. W.	2003. Physidae. CostaRica, INBio.
	Taylor, J.	1996. Origin and Evolutionary Radiation of the Mollusca. Oxford University
			Press.
	Turner, H., Kuiper, J. G. J.,	1998. Atlas der mollusken der Schweiz und Liechtensteins. Neuchatel,
	Thew, N., Bernasconi, R.,		Centre Suisse de la Cartographie de la Faune.
	Ruetschi, J., Wuethrich, M. &
	Gosteli, M.
	Tursch, B.& Greifeneder, D.	2001. Oliva shells: the genus Oliva and the species problem. Ancona,
			L’informatore Piceno.
	Taylor, J.D. (Ed)	1996. Origin and Evolutionary Radiation of the Molluscs. Oxford, O.U.P.
	Tebble, N.	1966. British Bivalve Seashells. London, British Museum (Natural History).
	Thompson, T.E.	1976. Biology of Opisthobranch Molluscs I. London, Ray Society.
	Thompson, T.E. & Brown, G.H	1976. British Opisthobranch Molluscs. (Synopses of the British Fauna N.S.
			No 8). London, Academic Press.
	Thompson, T.E. & Brown, G.H	1984. Biology of Opisthobranch Molluscs II. London, Ray Society.
	Vermeij, G.J.	1993. A Natural History of Shells. Princeton, Princeton University Press.
	Ward, P.D.	1987. The Natural History of Nautilus. London, Allen & Unwin.
	Wells, M.J.	1998. Civilization and the Limpet. Perseus Books.
	Wilbur, K.M. (Editor-in-Chief)	1982-8. The Mollusca. 12 vols. New York, Academic Press.
	Wilbur, K.M. & Yonge, C.M.	1964. Physiology of Mollusca I & II. London, Academic Press.
	Yonge, C.M.	1949. The Sea Shore. London, Collins.
	Yonge, C.M.	1960. Oysters. London, Collins.
	Yonge, C.M. & Thompson, T.E	1976. Living Marine Molluscs. London, Collins.

D. Fossils

British Palaeozoic Fossils. London, Natural History Museum.
British Mesozoic Fossils. London, Natural History Museum.
British Caenozoic Fossils. London, Natural History Museum.

Moore, R.C. (Ed).Treatise on Invertebrate Palaeontology. Molluscan volumes are:

Part I, Mollusca 1 (general + Scaphopoda, Amphineura, Monoplacophora and Gastropoda (part). 1960.
Part K, Mollusca 3 (Cephalopoda - ‘primitive’ forms). 1964.
Part L, Mollusca 4 (Ammonoidea). 1957.
Part N, Mollusca 6 (Bivalvia), Vols 1 & 2, 1969 + Vol 3 (oysters). 1971.

Murray, J.W. (Ed) ...1985. Atlas of Invertebrate Palaeontology. London, Longmans & The Palaeontological .................................Association.

E. Journals and the Societies publishing them

American Malacological Bulletin (American Malacological Union)
Bollettino Malacologico (Societa Italiana di Malacologia)
Bulletin of the Institute of Malacology (Institute of Malacology of Tokyo)
Gloria Maris (The Belgian Society for Conchology)
Haliotis (Societe Francaise de Malacologie)
Iberus (Sociedad Espanola de Malacologia)
Journal of Conchology (Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland)
Journal of Medical and Applied Malacology (International Society for Medical and Applied Malacology)
Journal of Molluscan Studies (The Malacological Society of London)
Malacologia (Institute of Malacology, Academy of Sciences, Philadelphia)
Molluscan Research (The Malacological Society of Australasia)
The Nautilus (Shell Museum and Educational Center, Sanibel, Florida)
North Pacific Shells (Institute of Malacology of Tokyo)
Veliger (California Malacozoological Society)
Zoological Record, Section 9 (Mollusca) (The Zoological Society of London)

The Conchological Society also publishes Papers for Students - list of titles and other publications which are in stock available from Mrs Helen Weideli, 35 Bartlemy Road, Newbury, Berks RG14 6LD.

The Malacological Society of London publishes Supplements to the Journal of Molluscan Studies - details of items in stock are available from Mr F. Naggs, Mollusca Section, Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, UK.