Systematic research collections

Recent and Fossil Mollusca

Compiled by:

Kevin S. Cummings
Illinois Natural History Survey
Champaign, Illinois, USA 61820
email: kscummin@illinois.edu

Anton Oleinik
Purdue University
Dept. of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
West Layfayette, Indiana, USA 47907-1397
email: OleinikA@vm.cc.purdue.edu 

John H. Slapcinsky
Division of Malacology
University of Florida
Museum Road
Gainesville, FL 32611-7800
email: slapcin@flmnh.ufl.edu

The following list of mollusk collections has been compiled to aid researchers by providing a list of curators, collection managers and a description of the collection (i.e. size, geographic scope, percent computerized, etc.). Links have been added to each museum where additional information may sometimes be found. We would encourage any of the collections listed to provide a summary of their holdings or update an existing summary. We will date new entries to provide a time reference to the information. Acronyms have been added to the list and have been taken from:

Leviton, A.E., R.E. Gibbs, Jr., E. Heal, and C.E. Dawson. 1985. Standards in Herpetology and Ichthyology: Part I. Standard Symbolic Codes for Institutional Resource Collections in Herpetology and Ichthyology. Copeia 1985(3):802-832.

If the acronym used for your mollusk collection is different from that listed by Leviton et al., please send an update to Kevin. Please feel free to link this list to other pages on the web and to encourage those collections not represented to send an entry. Any comments or suggestions to improve this list would be greatly appreciated.

Updated: 10/1/2009

North America

United States

Alaska

UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA MUSEUM (UAM)
Aquatic Collection
907 Yukon Drive
Fairbanks, Alaska 99775
Curator: Dr. Andres Lopez
ffjal2@uaf.edu
907-474-7828
(9/2009)

Arizona

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA (UAZ)
Museum of Natural History
Tucson, AZ 85721
Curator: Dr. Peter N. Reinthal
pnr@u.arizona.edu.
520-621-7518
(9/2009)

Arkansas

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS (ARK)
Biomass Research Center, Room 125
2435 Hatch
Fayetteville, AR 72701
Curator: Dr. Nancy McCartney
e-mail: nmccartn@uark.edu
501-575-3456
(9/2009)

California

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES (CAS)
Invertebrate Zoology and Geology
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, CA 94118
Curator: Dr. Terry Gosliner
Collection Manager: Dr. Robert J. Van Syoc
bvansyoc@calacademy.org
415-750-7082

About 250,000 dry specimen lots and 40,000 wet specimen lots. Of these, 36,462 lots have been computerized; 3,627 are type specimen lots, most are marine. The geographic strength of our marine collection is in the eastern Pacific with world-wide coverage in some groups. Freshwater and terrestrial specimens are mostly from western North America. Our type collection is available at http://www.calacademy.org/. (July 1996).
(9/2009)

THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY (LACM)
Section of Invertebrate Zoology
900 Exposition Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90007
Assistant Curator: Dr. Ángel Valdés
Phone: (213) 763 3380
Fax: (213) 746 2999
Collection Manager: Linsey T. Groves
e-mail: lgroves@nhm.org
Phone: (213) 763-3376 or 744-3485
Fax: (213) 746-2999

470,000 lots of mollusks; 50,000 lots and 12,000 collecting stations have been computerized. Marine mollusks represent about 80% of the collection, of which the Eastern Pacific from Alaska to Chile is best represented. The collection is strong in micromollusks, including unworked material from most marine provinces. The collection contains about 500 holotype and 1,000 paratype lots. (July 1996).

SANTA BARBARA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY (SBMNH)
2559 Puesta del Sol Road
Santa Barbara, CA 93105-2998
Curator: Dr. F.G. Hochberg
Howard-Berry Chair of Malacology: Dr. Henry W. Chaney
Collection Manager: Paul Scott
e-mail: pvscott@sbnature2.org
Phone: (805) 682-4711, ext. #145 (F.G. Hochberg), 146 (P. Scott), 150 (H. Chaney).
Fax: (805) 569-3170

200,000 lots of mollusks; approximately 5% are stored in alcohol and the remainder are dry or slide mounts. The marine collection contains 75% fo the total lots, mainly from the Eastern Pacific with strengths in bivalves, chitons, cephalopods, and gastropods. The terrestrial collection is 10% of the total with strengths in pulmonates from Western North America. The rest are freshwater mollusks, principally gastropods. Additional material focused on the parasites of mollusks, especially cephalopods, is contained in a microslide collection. We have over 2,000 primary types (holotype, paratypes, amd syntypes) with strengths in pulmonates, chitons, and cephalopods. (July 1996).

SCRIPPS INSTITUTION OF OCEANOGRAPHY (SIO)
La Jolla, CA 92093-0208
Benthic Invertebrates Collection
Curator William Newman
e-mail: wnewman@ucsd.edu
Plankton Collection
Curator: Mark Ohman
e-mail: mohman@ucsd.edu

SAN DIEGO NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM (SIO)
P. O. Box 121390
San Diego, CA 92112-1390
Curator Collections Care: Dr. Paisley S. Cato
e-mail: pcato@sdnhm.org
Collection Manager, Marine Invertebrates: Patricia Beller
e-mail: pbeller@sdnhm.org
Phone: (619) 255-0188
Fax: (619) 232-0248

Colorado

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO MUSEUM (UCM)
Invertebrate Zoology
CU Museum of Natural History
UCB 265
University of Colorado
Boulder, CO 80309-0265
Curator: Dr. Robert Guralnick
e-mail: Robert.Guralnick@colorado.edu
Phone: (303) 735-0178
Fax: (303) 735-2274

The 45,000 lots of mollusks include 287 primary type specimens. This collection is one of the most significant collections in the Zoology Section, and is within the top 15 largest in a North American museum. Dating back to the early 1900s, it arose from the the collecting efforts of one of the museum’s founders, Junius Henderson. The collection is worldwide in scope, about half marine species, a quarter freshwater species, and the remainder terrestrial forms. Other invertebrates (excluding insects, spiders) in the collection include marine, freshwater, and terrestrial organisms. Over 2,300 lots (20,000 specimens) have been cataloged. Most of these are used for teaching, although a very good collection of leeches and crayfishes are important for research. (September 2009).

DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE
2001 Colorado Boulevard
Denver, CO 80205-5798
Curator: Paula E. Cushing, Ph.D.
Phone: (303) 370-6442
e-mail (Cone c/o Cushing): paula.cushing@dmns.org
Collection Manager: Jeff Stephenson

The Denver Museum of Natural History has a Conchology Collection with approximately 16,000 fully catalogued and identified shell lots. Our collection is strongest in material from the Caribbean, western Mexico, and the South Pacific (including the Philippines). The Collection is being computerized, and we hope to provide electronic access to our collection database within the next three years via the DMNS Web site. We welcome requests for loans of our specimens for research, teaching, or artistic purposes. Our material is not available for purchase or trade. If you are interested in learning more about the DMNS Conchology Collection or in borrowing specimens, please contact: Paula E. Cushing, Ph.D.

Connecticut

PEABODY MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY (YPM)
Yale University
Division of Invertebrate Zoology
170 Whitney Ave., P.O. Box 208118
New Haven, CT 06520-8118
Collection Manager: Eric A. Lazo-Wasem
e-mail: eric.lazo-wasem@yale.edu
Phone: (203) 432-3784
Fax: (203) 432-9816

Approximately 50,000 specimen lots of mollusks. The collection has a major historical component amassed 1864-1901 from the Atlantic Coast (U.S. Fish Commission dredge hauls), Bermuda, Central America, and the Indo-Pacific, with global coverage from mid-1900’s expeditions. We have significant holdings of cephalopods assembled by A.E. Verrill and G.E. Pickford and a recent acquisition of the Marine Biological Laboratory’s (MBL) Gray Museum invertebrates including mollusks. Freshwater holdings include many specimens from the eastern U.S. collected just prior to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) dam construction. Our primary and secondary types consist of mainly A.E. Verill and K.J. Bush species. (July 1996).

Delaware

DELAWARE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY (DMNH)
Department of Malacology
4840 Kennett Pike, Box 3937
Wilmington, DE 19807-0937
Curator: Elizabeth Shea
Phone: (302) 658-9111
Collections Manager: Leslie Skibinski
Phone: (302) 658-9111 ext. 311
e-mail: LSkibinski@delmnh.org
Fax: (302) 658-2610

The Museum’s mollusk collection consists of more than 2 million specimens, making it one of the top ten in the United States. The 220,000 cataloged lots represent more than 18,000 species. Worldwide in scope and covering all seven living classes of mollusks, our holdings comprise marine Gastropoda (50%), land and freshwater Gastropoda (25%), marine Bivalvia (15%), and freshwater Bivalvia (5%). The Museum has both dry and alcohol preserved specimens. Most specimens are recent, however there is some Cenozoic fossil material. Our type collection contains more than 1,200 lots. Type catalogs listing all molluscan type specimens (except Pulmonata) are available in Nemouria issues 36 and 41. John E. du Pont’s original shell collections as well as other acquisitions have increased the collection’s size and scientific value. The Museum’s collection continues to grow through research activities of staff and through donations of scientifically significant specimens. (September 2009).

Florida

FLORIDA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY (UF)
Division of Malacology
University of Florida
Museum Road
Gainesville, FL 32611-7800
Curator: Dr. Fred G. Thompson
e-mail: fgt@flmnh.ufl.edu
Phone: (352) 392-1721
Collection Manager: John Slapcinsky
e-mail: slapcin@flmnh.ufl.edu
Tel: (352) 392-1721
Fax: (9352) 846-0287

The FLMNH houses the major malacology collection in the southeastern USA. Presently the collection contains about 275,000 specimen-lots. This consists of 235,000 lots of curated and computer-catalogued specimens-lots, plus 40,000 additional specimens-lots that will be computer-catalogued by December 1996. The collection is recognized internationally for its scientific holdings and is regularly used by many investigators. Non-marine mollusks make up about 75% of the collection; marine taxa comprise the balance. The collection is worldwide in its coverage with major holdings from North America, Middle America, South America, the western Pacific, southeast and southern Asia. The collection contains about 450 primary type specimens, and secondary types of about 2,000 species. (July 1996).

FLORIDA MARINE RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection
100 Eighth Avenue, SE
St. Petersburg, FL 33701-5095
Collection Manager: Sandra LaGrant
e-mail: lagant_s@harpo.dep.state.fl.us
Phone: (813) 896-8626
Fax: (813) 823-0166

24,000 lots of mollusks. This collection is primarily from Floridian marine habitats. (July 1996).

THE BAILEY-MATTHEWS SHELL MUSEUM
3075 Sanibel-Captiva Road
P.O. Box 1580
Sanibel, FL 33957
Scientific Director: Jose H. Leal
e-mail: jleal@shellmuseum.org
Phone: (329) 395-2233
Fax: (329) 395-6706

Georgia

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA (UGAMNH)
Museum of Natural History
Athens, GA 30602
Invertebrate Collection Manager: Amy Lyn Edwards
e-mail: aedwards@museum.nhm.uga.edu
Phone: (706) 542-4137
fax: (706) 543-3920

Relative percentages and geographical coverage of mollusks in our collections: land: 6% – most are from the southeastern US, but we do have worldwide examples of many families. freshwater: 35% – all are from the US, 3/4 are from the southeast. marine: 59% – about 1/2 are from Georgia, the other 1/2 are worldwide examples from each mollusc family.

1) The Grace Thomas Mollusc Collection: A world-wide collection of marine, freshwater and land mollusks. This is an actively growing collection, which has almost doubled in size in the past 3 yrs.

2) The Grays Reef Invertebrate Collection: Marine invertebrates from Grays Reef National Marine Sanctuary and neighboring areas. The collection includes: sponges, cnidarians, ctenophores, mollusks, polychaetes, crustaceans, sipunculids, bryozoans, echinoderms, ascidians and chaetognaths. It does include some examples of estuarine, intertidal & supra-tidal species. Most of the material was collected between 1964 and 1981 by dredge, drag, shrimp-net, or box-core as part of research projects conducted at the UGA Marine Institute, Sapelo Island, Georgia.

3) The UGA Invertebrate Collection: Marine sponges, corals and echinoderms from the Caribbean; Freshwater crayfish from the southeastern US. (May 1995).

Hawaii

BISHOP MUSEUM (BPBM)
Department of Natural Sciences
P.O. Box 19000
Honolulu, Hawaii 96817-0916
Collection Technician: Regina K. Kawamoto
e-mail: reginak@hawaii.edu
Phone: (808) 848-4118
fax: (808) 841-8968

Collection Size: Approximately 6,000,000 specimens in over 248,000 lots (9th largest mollusk collection in the U.S.). The largest and most comprehensive collection of Pacific mollusks in the world. Terrestrial mollusks make up about two-thirds of the collection, and with many of these Hawaiian and Pacific species now extinct or close to extinction, the collection is an irreplaceable resource. Close to 60% of the terrestrial material also represented by preserved specimens. Over 1,000 holotypes, mostly landsnails.

Collection History: The Bishop Museum was founded in 1889 by Charles Reed Bishop to house the Hawaiian and Polynesian antiquities in the collection of his late wife, Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop. The first conchological acquisition of the Bishop Museum was the Andrew Garrett collection, purchased in 1894. The subsequent history of the collection is largely a history of numerous expeditions and field trips in the Pacific, and of the acquisition of more than 30 major private collections, containing predominantly Pacific material. Most notable in the marine collection is the acquisition between 1948 and 1963 of the Thaanum-Langford collection, consisting of approximately 160,000 specimens from all over the Pacific. (August 1996).

Illinois

FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY (FMNH)
Division of Invertebrates
1400 S. Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60605-2496
Curator: Dr. Rudiger Bieler
Phone: (312) 665-7754
e-mail: rbieler@fieldmuseum.org
Curator: Dr. Janet Voight
e-mail: jvoight@fieldmuseum.org
Collection Manager: Jochen Gerber
e-mail: jgerber@fieldmuseum.org
fax: (312) 665-7754

The mollusk collection at the Field Museum of Natural History is one of the major U.S. collections, with several million specimens in about 300,000 accessioned lots. About 68% represent terrestrial lots, 18% marine and 14% freshwater. The collections of Recent pulmonate gastropods (land snails) at the Field Museum (FMNH) contain approximately 3.5 million specimens in about 209,000 dry-shell and alcohol-preserved lots. FMNH’s land snail collection is the most comprehensive in the country, with geographic concentration on North America, Australia and the Pacific Islands, Central and South America, and Europe. Especially rich in eastern U.S. species, it comprises a unique resource for ecological, environmental, systematic and other studies. Continued collection growth is aimed at supplementing existing strengths as well as building our marine holdings. For additional information on individual collections, current staff, etc., see: gopher://fmppr.fmnh.org/11/.fmnh/.acad/. (July 1996).

ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY (INHS)
607 E. Peabody Dr.
Champaign, IL 61820
Curator: Kevin S. Cummings
kscummin@illinois.edu
217-333-1623
Collection Manager:

The Mollusk Collection at the University of Illinois is composed of two parts – The Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) collection and the orphaned University of Illinois Museum of Natural History Collection (UIMNH).

The Illinois Natural History Survey Mollusk Collection contains over 190,000 catalogued specimens in nearly 50,000 lots, most of which were collected in Illinois and the southeastern United States. The collection is about 95% freshwater bivalves and gastropods (mussels, fingernail clams, and snails), 1% land snails and 4% marine gastropods, almost all of which are cones. Most of the specimens were collected as a result of various faunal surveys conducted by INHS biologists from the late 1800’s until the present. The early collections were made by such naturalists as John Wesley Powell, Robert Kennicott, Richard E. Call, William A. Nason, Frank C. Baker, Robert E. Richardson, and Charles A. Hart.

The University of Illinois Museum of Natural History Collection contains over 250,000 catalogued specimens in nearly 32,000 lots, and is global in scope with significant holdings of freshwater and terrestrial species from North and Central America. The collection is about 35% freshwater bivalves and gastropods, 35% land snails and 30% marine bivalves and gastropods.

Together the collections have over 80,000 lots (58,000 FW, 12,000 marine & and 10,000 landsnails) and nearly 450,000 specimens. Over 135 countries are represented, but the collection is especially strong in freshwater mollusks from the Midwest and Southeastern United States and land snails from Southwestern United States and Central America. Over 40,000 soft parts of more than 200 species have been preserved (approximately half in ethanol) and available for study.  All specimens that can be geo-referenced have been assigned latitude and longitudinal coordinates.  (10/2014)

PEGGY NOTEBART NATURE MUSEUM – CHICAGO ACADEMY OF SCIENCES (CA)
2430 North Cannon Dr.
Chicago, IL 60614
Collection Manager: Dawn Roberts
e-mail: droberts@naturemuseum.org
Phone: (773) 525-2164
Fax: (773) 755-5199

The collection contains approximately 60,000 specimens in 20,000 lots, including a number of type specimens. Most of the types (about 75 lots) are of freshwater snails, but a few marine species are also represented. Perhaps 10% of the collection consists of tropical species, but the vast majority of the specimens are Midwest snails and clams, many collected by Frank C. Baker from 1892-1915. Many of the Midwestern bivalves have recently been reidentfied and organized and entered onto a computer database at the Illinois Natural History Survey. (July 1996)

ILLINOIS STATE MUSEUM (ISM)
Research & Collections Center
1011 East Ash Street
Springfield, IL 62703
Curator: Dr. Robert Warren
e-mail: warren@museum.state.il.us
Phone: (217) 524-7903

The catalogued mollusk collection at the Illinois State Museum consists of 7598 freshwater bivalves (most dry) and 322 marine bivalves and gastropods (dry). The freshwater bivalve collection includes 120 species in five families (Corbiculidae, Hyriidae, Margaritiferidae, Mycetopodidae, Unionidae). Most of the collection consists of unionid mussels from the Mississippi River system in the states of Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio.

The Museum’s unionid mussel collection includes material from such early collectors as R.M. Barnes, C.C. Hoff, E.W. Payne, and W.S. Strode. The major portion of the collection was acquired through the more recent efforts of Dr. Paul W. Parmalee (Museum Zoologist, 1953-1973), Dr. Walter E. Klippel (Museum Archaeologist, 1970-1977), and Dr. Robert E. Warren (Museum Archaeologist, 1984-present). Taxonomic and locality data have been computerized.

Indiana

INDIANA STATE MUSEUM
650 W Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Curator: Ronald Richards
Phone: (317) 232-1642
Fax: (317) 232-7090

Approximately 2,400 catalogued specimens of unionids and an uncatalogued collection of aquatic snails. Our collection is mostly unionid specimens from Indiana and other southeastern states; less than 100 are worldwide. We are also cataloguing and curating mollusks for the Workingman’s Institute in New Harmony (see below), a late 19th century molluscan collection comprising about 40,000 specimens (about half unionids and half terrestrial and aquatic snails of Indiana). (July 1996).

THE NEW HARMONY WORKINGMEN’S INSTITUTE (WMI)
West Tavern St.
New Harmony, IN 47631
*Curated by the Indiana State Museum
Curator: Ronald Richards (see Indiana State Museum)
Phone: (317) 232-1642

Iowa

UNIVERSITY OF IOWA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
Iowa City, IA 52242
Museum Director: George Schrimper
Phone: (319) 335-0481
Curator of Paleontologic Collections: Julie Golden
email: j-golden@uiowa.edu
Phone: (319) 335-1822

The University of Iowa houses an extensive collection of land and freshwater mollusks collected by Bohumil Shimek in the 1880s to 1920s from around the U.S. The majority of specimens collected in Iowa are in the Museum and the others are in Geology. They are safely stored but not well curated (estimate 2,000 lots). Many remain wrapped in the original collecting papers with notes half English – half Czech as Shimek commonly wrote. There is a list of the specimens in the Museum but not what is housed in Geology. (July 1996).

Kentucky

EASTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY (EKU)
Branley A. Branson Museum of Zoology
Moore 235
Richmond, KY 40475-0950
Curator: Dr. Guenter Schuster
e-mail: bioschus@acs.eku.edu
Phone: (606) 622-2284
Fax: (606) 622-1020

Approximately 5,000 lots of mollusks with about 60,000 specimens. Unionids comprise about 60% of the collection while the rest are both terrestrial and freshwater gastropods. This is primarily a North American collection with most of the holdings from the southeast. The gastropod collection includes many lots from western and northwestern states.

Massachusetts

MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY (MCZ)
Harvard University
26 Oxford Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
CuratorEmeritus: Dr. Kenneth J. Boss
Curatorial Associate: Adam J. Baldinger
e-mail: abalding@oeb.harvard.edu
Research Associate: Mr. Richard Johnson (unionids)
Phone (for all three): (617) 495-2468

320,000 catalogued specimen-lots and approximately another 300,000 uncatalogued specimen-lots of mollusks. This worldwide collection consists of approximately 45% marine, 25% freshwater, and 30% land material. (July 1996).

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS MUSEUM OF ZOOLOGY (UMAMZ)
Invertebrate Division
Amherst, MA 01003-5810
Curator: Sean F. Werle
e-mail: swerle@bio.umass.edu
Phone: (413) 545-3565

Freshwater mollusk holdings: 1130 lots, 18 families 95% from New England, 99% in alcohol cataloged, computerized, identified to species. (May 1996)

Michigan

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MUSEUM OF ZOOLOGY (UMMZ)
Mollusk Division
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Curator Emeritus: Dr. John B. Burch 
email: jbburch@umich.edu
Phone: (734) 764-0470
Curator: Diarmaid O Foighil 
email: diarmaid@umich.edu
Phone: (734) 647-2193
Collections Coordinator: Liath Appleton
email: liath@umich.edu
Phone: (734) 764-2398
Fax (for all): (734) 763-4080

The University of Michigan began building a collection of mollusks before 1850, but it was not until the acquisition of the Bryant Walker collection (>2 million specimens) in the 1920’s that the Museum’s Mollusk Division gained prominence. At present, the mollusk collection contains over 250,000 catalogued lots of dry specimens (aproximately 5 million specimens), at least 5,000 uncatalogued lots of wet specimens (mostly ethanol preserved), and sizable collections of radulae, molluscan antisera and antigens etc. The collection’s primary importance stems from it having one of the largest and most complete assemblages of freshwater mollusks in existence. It also houses a very significant land snail repertoire in addition to a smaller selection of marine taxa. The University of Michigan’s mollusk collection serves as an invaluable reference source for limnology, invertebrate zoology and systematics, medical and veterinary zoology, conservation biology, biogeography and paleontology. It’s core scientific value has increased markedly this century in direct proportion to the dramatic decline of the global freshwater malacofauna and the development of new subdisciplines, including molecular systematics and evolution. The UMMZ Mollusk Division library is also a valuable resource, containing 36 malacological journals (each set complete) (July 2001).

Minnesota

BELL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY (JFBM)
University of Minnesota
1987 Upper Buford Circle
St. Paul, MN 55108
Interim Curator: Andrew Simons
e-mail: asimons@umn.edu
Phone: 612-624-6292

The Mollusk collection holds 10438 lots of mollusks; 8724 from Minnesota and 1067 from surrounding states. This collection is Minnesota’s repository for freshwater mollusks; freshwater bivalves constitute 92% of the collection, including 254 lots collected before 1910. Specimens collected beyond Minnesota and adjacent states include freshwater mussels from 29 states and 2 countries, and gastropods from 31 states and 12 countries. Most of the collection records are entered into a computer database, but also include a loosely organized collection of approximately 2000 lots from the Far East, Gulf of Mexico, Europe, Africa, and the Indo-Pacific. (May 2002).

SCIENCE MUSEUM OF MINNESOTA
120 W Kellog Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55102
Assistant Curator / Collections Manager for Biology: Richard J. Oehlenschlager
e-mail: dicko@smm.org
Phone: (651) 221-9450

Mississippi

MISSISSIPPI MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE (MMNS)
111 N. Jefferson St.
Jackson, MS 39202
Curator: Robert L. Jones
e-mail: bob.jones@mmns.state.ms.us
Collection Manager: Scott Peyton
e-mail: collections.manager@mmns.state.ms.us
Phone: (601) 354-7303 ext. 113 (for both)
fax: (601) 453-7227

The MMNS Freshwater Invertebrate Collection is composed primarily of mollusks and crustaceans. There are approximately 2,000 lots of crustaceans (approximately 9,000 specimens) representing 93 species. The crustacean collection contains specimens from 11 states, but the majority (94%) are from Mississippi. Crustaceans were identified primarily by the late Joseph F. Fitzpatrick, Jr. of the University of South Alabama and Tulane University. The mollusk collection, which has been completely geo-referenced, consists of approximately 50,000 specimens (approximately 10,000 lots) of 164 bivalve and 36 gastropod taxa. The majority of specimens (96%) are bivalves. Much of the collection is from Mississippi (87%), but there are specimens from 16 other states as well. The majority of specimens are stored as dry shells, but there are also specimens stored in 70 or 100 percent ethanol. The latter includes 56 taxa which have been preserved for genetic analysis. (September 2009)

Nebraska

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA STATE MUSEUM (UN)
W436 Nebraska Hall
Lincoln, NE 68588-0514
Curator: Dr. Patricia W. Freeman
email: pfreeman1@unl.edu
Phone: (402) 472-6606
Collections Manager: Thomas E. Labedz
e-mail: tlabedz1@unl.edu
Phone: (402) 472-8366
Fax: (402) 472-8949

The mollusk collection is broadly sorted and in appropriate storage cabinets. Several private collections of both freshwater and marine organisms with data are included, and an estimated 10,000 lots make up the entire collection. There is historically interesting material from the 1870s from freshwater streams in Nebraska collected by Samuel Aughey, the first director of the Museum. More recently, surveys of molluscs from the Platte and Niobrara Rivers, supported by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have been carried out by Mr. Keith Perkins. A recent gift contains much land snail material from Central America and Cuba collected before 1957. Approx. 20,000 lots (uncatalogued). (July 1996).

New York

AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY (AMNH)
Department of Invertebrates
Central Park West at 79th St.
New York, NY 10024-5192

278,000 catalogued specimen lots of mollusks, worldwide in scope: marine, land and freshwater. This collection is especially strong in Tropical Pacific Ocean and Western Atlantic Ocean mollusks. About 400 primary type specimens and about 7,400 secondary type specimens. (July 1996).

PALEONTOLOGICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTION (PRI)
1259 Trumansburg Rd.
Ithaca, NY 14850
Curator/Collections Manager: Dr. Robin Hadlock Seely
Phone: (607) 273-6623
Fax: (607) 273-6620

The PRI collections include between 2 million and 3 million specimens, making them among the 10 largest in the United States. Most of the collections consist of invertebrate fossils (representing almost every major group of organisms from around the world over the past 2 billion years), with major strengths in Cenozoic marine mollusks of the Western Hemisphere, Paleozoic marine invertebrates of New York State, and Cenozoic benthic foraminifera of the U.S. Coastal Plains and Caribbean. The collection also includes significant collections of Recent mollusks; Triassic-Jurassic vertebrates of the Newark Series (Connecticut Valley and adjacent areas); fossil plants; Pleistocene vertebrates of New York State (especially mastodons); and fossil fishes. PRI houses all non-botanical fossils and recent mollusks formerly at Cornell University. PRI’s collection of Type and Figured specimens (also one of the nation’s 10 largest) includes more than 15,000 specimens, and is available online. Over the past decade, PRI has also acquired major collections from other institutions, including Syracuse University, SUNY Binghamton, SUNY Buffalo, University of Rochester, Alfred University, Wells College, and Tulane University.

Approximately 23,000 lots of recent mollusks with particular strength in freshwater bivalves of the United States and marine mollusks of the Caribbean. Several hundred Recent molluscan types are included in the Institution’s Type and Figured Collection of more than 33,000 specimens. PRI also houses the Cornell University Recent mollusk collection, the majority of which is the historic Newcomb Collection (approximately 13,000 lots), containing 252 primary and 53 secondary types, as well as representatives of 69 genera of freshwater bivalves and 210 lots of Achatinella tree snails from Hawaii. PRI also houses, in addition to the Recent mollusk material mentioned here: One of the world’s largest collections of Cenozoic mollusks from the Western Hemisphere (approx. 150,000 lots), this includes the recently transferred Cornell University Cenozoic collection. (December 1996).

NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM (NYSM)
Biological Survey
CEC 3140
Albany, NY 12230
Adjunct Curator: Eileen H. Jokinen
Phone: (203) 486-0335
Adjunct Curator: David L. Strayer
e-mail: dlstrayer@aol.com
Phone: (914) 677-5343
Fax: (914) 677-5976

Approximately 23,500 lots of mollusks. This is a regional collection of holdings from the northeastern United States. The bulk of the collection is freshwater mollusks with specimens dating back to the mid-19th century. (July 1996).

North Carolina

NORTH CAROLINA STATE MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCES (NCSM)
4301 Reedy Creek Road
Raleigh, NC 27607
FEDEX/UPS shipping address: 102 N Salisbury St., Raleigh, NC 27603
Curator: Dr. Arthur E. Bogan
e-mail: arthur.bogan@ncdenr.gov
Phone: (919) 733-7450 ext 753
Fax: (919) 715-2294

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Science invertebrate collection is comprised of three units: millipedes and centipedes, freshwater crayfish and mollusks. This collection consists of more than 50,000 catalogued lots totaling more than 641,000 specimens and is actively growing. Collections acquired in 1996 from the University of North Carolina Institute of Marine Sciences have added strength to the Museum’s invertebrate collection in the areas of marine crustaceans and brackish and marine mollusks. The Museum’s millipede collection is of international significance, including a major series of Sigmoria.The Museum’s crustacean collection contains approximately 9,000 lots containing approximately 96,000 specimens. Research emphasis is on freshwater decapods, especially crayfishes. At 26,000 specimens, the crayfish collection is one of the largest in the Southeast, and contains many type specimens.

The Museum’s mollusk unit’s current research emphasis is on freshwater mollusks, especially freshwater bivalves. Collection composition is 83% freshwater species (mussels, fingernail clams and snails), 10% marine species and 7% terrestrial species (snails). Our collection consists of three parts: the Museum’s historical collection (prior to 1996) of about 3,500 lots or approximately 20,000 specimens, the former Institute of Marine Sciences’ (IMS) collection of about 25,000 lots containing an estimated 233,000 specimens and the Herbert D. Athearn, Museum of Fluviatile Mollusks Collection containing approximately 25,000 lots and an estimated 300,000 specimens. Athearn’s collection was the largest privately held collection of freshwater mollusks in the country. The IMS collection includes Hugh Porter’s collection of marine and brackish water mollusks of North Carolina. (September 2009).

Ohio

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY (OSM)
Museum of Biological Diversity
1315 Kinnear Rd.
Columbus, OH 43212-1192
Curator: Dr. G. Thomas Watters
e-mail: Watters1@osu.edu
Phone: (614) 292-6170
Fax: (614) 292-7774

The Division of Molluscs is divided into two major collections, housed in separate ranges. The bivalve collection consists of ~80,000 catalogued lots, mainly composed of North American freshwater mussels. The gastropod collection (and a small amount of material of other molluscan orders) consists of ~63,000 catalogued lots, primarily North American freshwater snails. The collections are among the largest in the world for freshwater Mollusca. Computers in each range link to central bivalve and gastropod databases.

CINCINNATI MUSEUM CENTER
Geier Collections and Research Center
Museum of Natural History & Science
1301 Western Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45203-1130
Adjunct Curator: Francisco J. Borrero
Phone: (513) 368-6515
e-mail; borrerof@countryday.net

The Malacology collection consists of several hundred thousand marine, fresh water, and terrestrial mollusk shells (16,400 catalogued lots) and other invertebrates. Of note are the historic marine collections of Louis Brand and Thomas Say and various 19th century members of the Cincinnati Society of Natural History. Particularly significant are the large holdings of unionids and pulmonates accumulated by the Cincinnati Society of Natural History, U. P., J. F. James, and especially, Edward Drinker Cope.

CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 
1 Wade Oval Dr.
Cleveland, OH 44106
Curator: Dr. Joe Hannibal
Curator of Invertebrate Paleontology
e-mail: hannibal@cmnh.org
Phone: (216) 231-4600 ext. 3233
Fax: (216) 231-5919
Curatorial Assistants: Douglas Dunn
e-mail: ddunn@cmnh.org

The currently catalogued collection of mollusks at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History contains a total of more than 6,300 lots representing over 23,000 specimens of freshwater and marine material. Much of this material is from Ohio and surrounding states, and were collected in the mid-20th century. Our terrestrial Gastropoda are largely specimens collected in the early years of the 20th century, mostly in the U.S. and Caribbean; a significant additional amount originated from Japan and was collected by Y. Hirase. We are currently cataloguing the marine bivalve and gastropod collections, which are world-wide in composition, with a preponderance of southwestern Asia specimens. (September 2009).

HEFNER ZOOLOGY MUSEUM
Miami University
Department of Zoology
100 Upham Hall
Oxford, Ohio 45056
Curator: Mike Wright
Phone: (513) 529-6084

Pennsylvania

ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA (ANSP)
Dept. of Malacology
1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Curator: Dr. Gary Rosenberg
e-mail: rosenberg@ansp.org
Phone: (215) 299-1033
Collection Manager: Paul Callomon
e-mail: callomon@ansp.org
Phone: (215) 299-5096

The collection of recent mollusks at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (ANSP) is the oldest in the country, and the second largest catalogued one in the world. It currently has more than 478,000 catalogued lots containing about 12 million specimens, including 30,000-35,000 lots preserved in ethanol. Type specimens of more than 400 authors are represented in more than 12,000 type lots. ANSP has specimens from all over the world. The collection is about 75% gastropods, 23% bivalves, and 2% chitons, <1% other classes; 50% are marine, strongest in shallow water marine mollusks from the tropical Indo-Pacific and the Western Atlantic. 30% terrestrial worldwide; 20% freshwater strongest in North America and Southeast Asia. (July 1996).

CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY (CM)
Section of Mollusks
4400 Forbes Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-4080
Curator: Timothy A. Pearce
Phone: (412) 622-1916
e-mail: PearceT@CarnegieMNH.org
Fax: (412) 622-8837

The Section of Mollusks maintains collections, libraries, and research programs for scientific studies of Mollusca. The molluscan collections contain 115,000 lots of mollusks, an estimated 3.3 million specimens housed in 2,300 jars and 3,308 glass-topped drawers (18″ x 30″). This primarily freshwater and terrestrial collection is worldwide with emphasis on Neartic and Neotropical species; 67% are gastropods, 32% bivalves, <1% chitons, and <1% other classes. We have 138 primary and 8,342 secondary type specimens. Significant collections include Ortmann (Unionidae) and Sterki (Sphaeriidae). (March 2002).

BRANDYBERRY MUSEUM
417 W. Bainbridge St.
Elizabethtown, PA 17022

South Carolina

CHARLESTON MUSEUM (CHM)
360 Meeting Street
Charleston, SC 29401
Curator: Dr. Albert Sanders
Phone: (803) 722-2996

Tennessee

FRANK H. McCLUNG MUSEUM (UT)
University of Tennessee
1327 Circle Park Drive
Knoxville, TN 37996-3200
Curator: Gerald Dinkins
e-mail: Gdinkins@utk.edu
Phone: (865) 974-2144
Fax: (865) 974-3827

The McClung Museum houses a significant mollusk collection comprised of approximately 4,000 lots of freshwater mussels and freshwater and terrestrial gastropods. The freshwater mussels alone — not counting the marine mollusks and North American gastropods — total about 30,000 specimens. The collection functions as a resource for teaching and research. Although the majority of specimens are from eastern North America, the collection contains materials from the western United States, Canada, Europe, China, South America, and Mexico as well. With the continual decline in species diversity and abundance — and even extinction (the Museum has specimens of several taxa of freshwater mussels that are now extinct) — such reference collections as this one take on an even greater scientific value.

Texas

HOUSTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE 
1 Hermann Circle Dr.
Houston, TX 77030
Assistant Curator: John W. :”Wes” Tunnell, Jr.
e-mail: wes.tunnell@tamucc.edu
Phone: (361) 825-2055

45,000 lots, with approximately 1,000,000 dried shells. Forty percent of the collection is comprised of material from Northest Gulf of Mexico population surveys from the 1960’s through the 1980’s. The remaining 60% consists of world-wide marine, and both freshwater and terrestrial mollusks from Texas. Our museum has the largest and most comprehensive collection of dried shells from Texas in the world. (July 1996).

FORT WORTH MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND HISTORY (FWM)
1600 Gendy Street
Fort Worth, TX 76107
Curator: William J. Voss
e-mail: voss@metronet.com
Phone: (817) 732-1631 ext. 331
Assistant Curator: Wesley Hathaway
Fax: (817) 732-7635

3,500 lots containing 20,000 catalogued specimens. These are mostly Southwestern U.S. and Mexico (perhaps 60%), with 30% from neighboring or close-by states and 10% from the continentla U.S. at large. There are also a few lots (100-200) from the South Pacific, Hong Kong, Greece, Philippines, and Hawaii. Terrestrial gastropods predominate the collection (maybe 60%) with freshwater and marine species making up the remainder. We have many examples of Cretaceous fossil specimens although none are catalogued in with the mollusks. (July 1996).

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO (UTEP)
Centennial Museum
Laboratory for Environmental Biology
El Paso, TX 79968-0519
Curator: Dr. Artie Metcalf
e-mail c/o: aharris@utep.edu (Art Harris)
Phone: (915) 747-5844

The Malacology collections comprise over 13,000 lots of recent and fossil specimens, mostly dried shells. About 70% of the materials are terrestrial gastropods, 25% freshwater molluscans (including unionaceans), and 5% marine forms. Geographic coverage is mostly for New Mexico (about 80%), but there also are significant holdings for Kansas, Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

In addition to the extensive general holdings of inland Mollusca from southwestern North America, the following aspects of the collection are also of note: Significant holdings of fossil gastropods from late Pleistocene/Holocene sites, including several cave sites, in Trans-Pecos Texas and southern New Mexico; a collection of fossil and modern specimens of gastropods from Cimarron County, Oklahoma; minor collections of historical interest representing the activities of Dwight Isely, H.A. Pilsbry, and J.H. Ferriss in the southwestern U.S. during the early 1900s; about 20 paratypes of land snail taxa from various regions in the southwestern U.S. and Mexico. (May 1996).

TEXAS NATURAL SCIENCE CENTER (TNHC)
University of Texas – Austin
2400 Trintity St.
Austin, TX 78705
Curator: James Reddell
e-mail: jreddell.caves@mail.utexas.edu
Phone: (512) 471-1075

DALLAS MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY (DMNH)
Division of Collections and Research
3535 Grand Ave. (Fair Park)
Dallas, TX 75226
Curator: Malacology Chair Vacant
Chief Curator: Alex Barker
e-mail: abarker@mail.smu.edu
Phone: (214) 421-3466, ext. 244
Collection Manager: Gail Manning
e-mail: grm_dmnh@ix.netcom.com
Phone: (214) 421-3466, ext. 232
Fax: (214) 428-4356

28,000 lots. The collection is dominated by terrestrial gastropods, including both recent and fossil specimens. One of the major terrestrial gastropod collections for the region, it includes primary types of about a dozen specimens and secondary types of several hundered gastropod species. (July 1996).

Virginia

VIRGINIA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY (VMNH)
21 Starling Avenue
Martinsville, VA 24112
Curator: Richard Hoffman
Phone: (540) 666-8629

Approximately 2.8% (35 lots) of the mollusk collection is comprised of terrestrial gastropods. The genera represented include Anguispira, Haplotrema, Polygyriscus, Mesodon, Triodopsis, Pomatiopsis, and Strobilops. The remaining 97.2% (about 2,000 lots with about 15,000 specimens) are freshwater (no marine mollusks). Collection emphasis is on pleurocerid gastropods and unionid bivalves from the Atlantic slope systems in Virginia and North Carolina, with nominal representation from the Tennessee River Basin. (July 1996).

Washington

BURKE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY AND CULTURE (UW)
University of Washington
Division of Geology & Paleontology
P.O. Box 353010
Seattle, WA 98195
Curator: Alan Korn
e-mail: kohn@u.washington.edu

The Burke Museum malacological collection now comprises 29,321 lots, comprising mainly marine material from the Pacific Rim region. It is particularly strong in material from Washington, Alaska, and the Indo-Pacific region. A recently donated collection of several thousand lots from Guam is currently being catalogued. (December 2001)

Washington D.C.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY (USNM)
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
Dept. of Invertebrate Zoology
NHB MRC 118
Washington, DC 20560
Freshwater Curator: Dr. Robert Hershler
e-mail: hershlerr@si.edu
Phone: (202) 633-1747
Marine Curator: Dr. Jerry Harasewych
e-mail: Harasewych@si.edu
Phone: (202) 633-1745
Curator: Ellen E. Strong
e-mail: StrongE@si.edu
Phone: (202) 633-1742
Collection Manager: Paul Greenhall
e-mail: Greenhal@si.edu
Phone: (301) 328-1758

2,320,000 lots of mollusks. The molluscan collection of the National Museum of Natural History is a comprehensive, worldwide collection of 850,000+ catalogued specimen-lots and 12,000 primary type lots. Strengths of the 20,000,000 specimen collection are in the marine and freshwater faunas. Currant research interests focus on cephalopods, new world freshwater snails, and marine gastropods. (July 1996).

West Virginia

MARSHALL UNIVERSITY
College of Science
Huntington, WV 25755
Curator: Dr. Ralph W. Taylor
Phone: (304) 696-2338

Wisconsin

MILWAUKEE PUBLIC MUSEUM (MPM)
800 West Wells St.
Milwaukee, WI 53233

MPM has a mollusk collection of over 186,000 accessioned specimens from 246 families. The collection began with specimens presented to the City of Milwaukee by the Natural History Society of Wisconsin in 1883. All families having species in Wisconsin have been entered into a computer database. Over 18,000 of these specimens have been collected within Wisconsin. Of the gastropods entered into the database, 57,000 specimens are freshwater and 16,000 are terrestrial.

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN (UWZM)
Zoological Museum
250 N. Mills St.
Noland Hall
Madison, WI 53706

Canada

ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM (ROM)
Dept. of Invertebrate Zoology
100 Queen’s Park
Toronto, ON M5S 2C6 Canada
Associate Curator: Claire Healy e-mail: claireh@rom.on.ca Phone: (416) 586-8063

Approximately 50,000 species lots with 300,00 specimens; around 50% of the specimens are in unsorted field lots in the process of being identified. This is a major molluscan collection, with a focus on eastern Canada. About 75% of the material is freshwater and terrestrial, but there is a rich representation of marine species, especially from Canadian coastal waters.

CANADIAN MUSEUM OF NATURE (NMC)
(formerly National Museum of Natural Sciences)
Invertebrate Collections
Postal Box 3443, Station “D”
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1P 6P4
Phone: (613) 954-2646
fax: (613) 954-6439
e-mail: cmncoll@mus-nature.ca
Chief Collection Manager: Dr. Jean-Marc Gagnon
e-mail: jmgagnon@mus-nature.ca
Researcher: Dr. Andre Martel (Malacology)
e-mail: amartel@mus-nature.ca
Phone: (613) 364-4066
Fax: (613) 364-4027

A total of about 100,000 lots in the dry collection (shells) about 25,000 fluid-preserved lots; – probably about 30% are land and freshwater molluscs (30,000-40,000 lots), mostly from Canada and U.S. – including 6 000 – 7 000 lots of freshwater clams (Unionidae), mostly collected, examined and identified by Arthur H. Clarke (former curator). (May 1995).

NEWFOUNDLAND MUSEUM
Natural History Section
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation
Historic Resources Division
Box 8700
St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada A1C 5X3
Curator: Mr. John E. Maunder
e-mail: jmaunder@plato.ucs.mun.ca, jmaunder@morgan.ucs.mun.ca
Phone: (709) 729-5077
fax: (709) 729-2179

Approximately 2,000 catalogued lots with an additional 5,000-plus uncatalogued. This collection of wet and dry recent mollusks, and Pleistocene subfossils is still in the early stages of development with very active collecting and cataloguing. Land, freshwater, and marine habitats are about equally represented, but our marine collections are now growing the fastest. The collecting area is essentially restricted to the Canadian Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and its surrounding continental shelf/slope waters to a depth of 4,000 m. (July 1996).

THE ROYAL BRITISH COLUMBIA MUSEUM (BCPM)
Invertebrate Section
675 Belleville Street
Victoria, BC, Canada V8V 1X4
Curator Emeritus: Philip Lambert
e-mail: plambert@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
Collections Manager: Moretta Frederick
e-mail: MFrederick@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
Phone: (250) 387-2932
Fax: (250) 387-0534

The Royal BC Museum has about 500 lots of freshwater and terestrial molluscs, most are from BC. As well there a few thousand lots of marine molluscs. Significant contributions have been made from the estate of the late Dr Frank Bernard, and by Dr. Ian McTaggart-Cowan. Most of their donations are marine. The collections are in 60% isopropanol as well as dry lots. (July 1996).

ATLANTIC REFERANCE CENTRE (ARC)
Huntsman Marine Science Center
St. Anderws, New Brunswick, Canada E0G 2X0
(506) 529-1203

Approximately 5,000 lots of mollusks, with gastropods, pelecypods, and cephalopods representing about 30% each. Habitat coverage includes marine, estuarine, and freshwater areas within Atlantic Canada abd adjacent southern regions. (July 1996).

South America

Argentina

MUSEO ARGENTINO DE CIENCIAS NATURALES (MACN)
“Bernardino Rivadavia”
Av. Angel Gallardo 470
1405 Buenos Aires, Argentina
Director: Dr. Edgardo J. Romero
Phone/Fax: 54-11-4982 5243/0306/4494/1154
Division Invertebrados
Curator: Lic. Alejandro Tablado
Phone/Fax: 54-11-4982 5243/0306/4494/1154 ext. 18
email: tablado@mail.retina.ar

The collection of the Invertebrate Division includes all invertebrate species except land arthropods (insects, spiders, scorpions, etc.). Mollusks comprise about 50% of the whole collection, which contains ca. 34,000 lots. The collection has material from all parts of Argentina (land and freshwater environments), and also from the south-western Atlantic and Antarctic marine areas. Most of the specimens are dry shells, and about 30% are wet specimens conserved in alcohol 70%. Last year we began to computerize the collection information, but just 35% of the total has been entered. (September 1999)

MUSEO DE LA PLATA (MLP)
Dept. Zoologia Invertebrados
Paseo del Bosque s/n
1900 La Plata – Buenos Aires, Argentina
Curator: Dr. Cristian F. Ituarte
e-mail: cituarte@isis.unlp.edu.ar
Phone: 54-21-256134/8252
Fax: 54-21-257527

Freshwater, Terrestrial (Hylton Scott colection) and Marine Molluscs (Lahille Volutes types)

COLECCIÓN DE LA FUNDACIÓN MIGUEL LILLO (FML)
Instituto de Invertebrados Fundación Miguel Lillo
Miguel Lillo 251
Tucamán, Argentina

This malacological collection is composed exclusively of shells except for certain Pulmonate gastropods of Tucaman Province which are represented by whole snails fixed and preserved in alcohol. Fourteen holotypes and several paratypes are registered in this section. (Cuezzo & Drahg, 1995).

Brazil

COLEÇÃO MALACOLÒGICA DO INSTITUTO DE BIOLOGIA (IBUFRJ)
Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, C.C.S.
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão
Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-570
Brasil
Curator: Dr. Ricardo S. Absalão
e-mail: absalao@acd.ufrj.br / absalao@hotmail.com
Curatorial Assistants:
Paulo Marcio S. Costa.
e-mail: pmscosta@hotmail.com
Alexandre D. Pimenta
e-mail: alexpim@hotmail.com
phone/fax: XX-55-21-5605993 ext. 23

The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro has a small (+/- 10000 lots) but representative collection of Brazilian marine mollusks (70% Gastropoda, 20% Bivalvia, 10 % other classes). In the last 10 years special attention has been dedicated to microgastropods. Most of our lots are from the southeastern coast of Brazil, but the north and the south coasts are also significantly represented. (May 1998).

MUSEU NACIONAL
Departamento de Invertebrados (Malacologia)
Quinta da Boa Vista, Sao Cristovao
20.940-040
Rio de Janeiro, R.J. Brazil
Curators: Célia Neli Ricci &
Luiz Carlos de Figueiredo Alvarenga
e-mail: alvareng@acd.ufrj.br

MUSEO PAULISTA
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Curator:
e-mail:

MUSEU DE CIÊNCIAS NATURAIS
Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do Sul
Av. Salvador França, 1427, Jardim Botânico
Porto Alegre, RS, 90690-000
Brasil
Curator: Dr. Maria Cristina Dreher Mansur

UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO RIO GRANDE DO SUL
Laboratório de Fisiologia Animal
P.O. Box 592
Porto Alegre, RS, 90600-000
Brasil
Curator: Ana Eloisa Castro Freitas
e-mail: opabinia@vortex.ufrgs.br

UNIVERSIDADE DE BRASILIA
Departmento de Zoologia
Brasil Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro, Brasília

CEP 70910-900 – Telefone Geral (55 61)3307-2022

Costa Rica

INBio
(Biodiversity National Institute)
Departamento de Malacología
Apartado. 22-3100 Santo Domingo
Heredia, Costa Rica
Curators: Zaidett Barrientos (freshwater and land mollusks)
e-mail: zbarr@spiraxis.inbio.ac.cr
Ramón Angulo (polyplacophorans and marine snails)
e-mail: rangulo@spiraxis.inbio.ac.cr
Yolanda Camacho (cephalopoda, scaphopoda, pelecypoda and Opistobranchia)
e-mail: ycamacho@spiraxis.inbio.ac.cr
Phone: (506) 236-76-90
fax: (506) 236-28-16

80% land and freshwater
20% marine

MUSEO DE ZOOLOGIA (UCR)
Universidad de Costa Rica
Biologia Tropical
San Jose, Costa Rica
Curator: Julian Monge-Najera
e-mail: julianm@cariari.ucr.ac.cr
Fax: (506) 207-5550

A small collection of marine and continental molluscs made mostly in the 60s.

Mexico

UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTONOMA DE MEXICO (IGM)
Instituto de Geologia
Museo de Paleontologia
Ciudad Universitaria
Circuito Exterior
Delegacion Coyoacan
04510 – Mexico, D. F.
Director: Dr. Dante Moran-Zenteno
Coordinator: Dra. Maria del Carmen Perrilliat
e-mail: mariacp@servidor.unam.mx
Phone: 6-22-42-80 y 6-22-42-81

Large fossil collection of all ages from the Mexican Republic. The type collection consists of 7500 specimens including (holotypes, paratypes, syntypes). A geographic collection including all the states of the Mexican Republic mainly of Cretaceous age.

Nicaragua

Universidad Centro Americana (UCA)
Mollusk Collection (UCAMC)
Centro Malacologico, Dept. de Ecologia
P.O.Box A-90
Managua, Nicaragua
Curator: Al Lopez, S.J.
e-mail: alosi@ns.uca.rain.ni

Dry and wet specimens. Marine collection: Locally collected Panamic species, 1,500+ spms, classified by Myra Keen’s numeration. Land mollusk collection: Locally collected, ca. 300 species in ca. 1,500 lots. Freshwater collection: Freshwater snails and bivalves, locally collected. All data in FoxBase files.

Uruguay

MUSEO NACIONAL DE HISTORIA NATURAL (MHNM)
Malacologia
Casilla de Correo 399
11000 Montevideo, Uruguay
Museum Director: Dr. Hector Osorio

Europe

Austria

NATURHISTORISCHES MUSEUM WIEN (NMW)
III. Zoologische Abteilung
Curator: Anita Eschner
Burgring 7, Postfach 417, A-1010
Wien (Vienna), Austria
e-mail: anita.eschner@nhm-wien.ac.at
Phone: +43 1 52177-376
Fax: +43 1 52177-327

Belgium

ROYAL BELGIAN INSTITUTE OF NATURAL SCIENCES (IRSNB)
Department of Invertebrates
Malacology Section
Vautierstraat 29
B-1000 Brussels, Belgium
Curator: Dr. Jackie L. Van Goethem
e-mail: vangoethemj@kbinirsnb.be
Phone: +32-2-627 43 43
Curator: Dr. Cl. Massin
e-mail: massin@kbinirsnb.be
Phone: +32-2-627 43 47
Curator: Dr. T. Backeljau
e-mail: TBackeljau@kbinirsnb.be
Phone: +32-2-627 43 39
Fax: +32-2-646 44 33

The recent mollusc collection at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences is one of the major world malacological collections, with an estimated 9 million specimens arranged in more than 700,000 lots. This collection is for practical and historical reasons subdivided in a general collection and the Ph. Dautzenberg collection.

The general collection was built up shortly after the foundation in 1846 of the “Muse Royal d’histoire naturelle”, presently Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. Much of the material initially inventoried existed for decades in private hands. The oldest specimens so far traced date from 1789. Wet material dates from the beginning of the 20th century. Important acquisitions resulted from expeditions e.g. Mercator (1935-1938), Hydrobiological Exploration of Lake Tanganyika (1946-1947), Mbizi (1948-1949), Explorations of the National Parks of Zaire (1933-1957), and more recently from expeditions in Papua New Guinea (1976-1995), to various Indian Ocean Islands, the Red Sea and the Antarctics. The estimated total number of lots exceeds 300,000. Over the last decade the mean annual growth of the collection varies in the order of 1-2%. In 1993 the compilation of a computer database was started. Belgian material is kept separately. The oldest samples date from the beginning of the 19th century. An important marine collection resulted from the explorations of the North Sea by G. Gilson (1898-1925). Regarding non-marine molluscs, in the 1930’s and 40’s and again in the 70’s and 80’s huge numbers of live specimens were sampled throughout the Belgian territory. At present 54,500 records of Belgian non-marine molluscs are computerized.

The Philippe Dautzenberg collection was purchased by the “Muse Royal d’Histoire Naturelle de Belgique” in June 1935. It contains 32,000 recent, 7,000 fossil mollusc species, and more than 6,000 named varieties. All taxa are indexed on a double handwritten card system, one arranged in alphabetical order, the other in a zoogeographical order. The number of lots must be in the order of 400,000 representing 4.5 million specimens. The collection is of utmost importance because it contains: – roughly 1/3 of the known mollusc species at that time,- a very high number of voucher specimens: holotypes, co-types, paratypes, topotypes, hypotypes, etc., including types of the nearly 1,900 taxa named by Ph. Dautzenberg himself. (August 1996).

Denmark

ZOOLOGICAL MUSEUM, UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN (ZMUC)
Universitetsparken 15
DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
Phone: +45 35 32 10 00
Fax: +45 35 32 10 10
Curator: Ole S. Tendal
Assistant curator: Tom Schioette
e-mail: tschiotte@zmuc.ku.dk
Direct telephone: +45 35 32 10 48

The collection of molluscs is one of the more important of the large, old collections in Europe, going back to King Frederik III’s “Kunstkammer” from the 1650s. Greater collectors were: L. Spengler, C.F. Schumacher, Count A.G. Moltke, and King Christian VIII. In the collection are not only types, but also original specimens for descriptions and illustrations in many publications, for instance: Regenfuss 1758, Chemnitz & Martini 1769-1829, Fabricius 1780, Forsskål 17??.

Strongpoints in malacological collections: Types of species described in various old works, particularly many pictured by Martini and Chemnitz (late 1700-years). Arctic molluscs, especially from Greenland. Cephalopods, including types of Steenstrup and others. Opisthobranchs. Prosobranch egg capsules.

Main ongoing research (staff and guest workers) includes a large variety of subjects with an emphasis on 1) opisthobranch taxonomy/phylogeny and 2) faunistics and zoogeography of Arctic (Greenlandic) and North Atlantic molluscs. (July 1996).

England

THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM (BMNH)
Division of Invertebrates I
Cromwell Road
London SW7 5BD, England
Curator: Ms Kathie Way
e-mail: kmw@nhm.ac.uk
Phone: (071) 938-8892

LEEDS MUSEUM AND GALLERIES (LEEDM)
Leeds Museum Resource Centre
Moorfield Road, Yeadon, Leeds LS19 7BN
Senior Curator: Adrian Norris
Phone: (0044) 0113 214 6526
e-mail: AdrianXNorris@aol.com

The Leeds City Museum houses the third largest shell collection in the British Isles. The collection contains over 100,000 lots covering most areas of the world with many hundreds of type, figured and cited specimens, a catalogue of which is now being worked up.

The Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland was founded in Leeds, and we hold the collections of one of its founder members, William Nelson as well as many other early collectors including C.Ashford, J.W.Davis, S.C.T. Hanley, C.H. Moore, A.G. Stubbs, G.H. Taylor and Fred Taylor as well as the collections of later collectors such as J. Armitage, H. Brooksbank, T.E.Crowley, E.B. Rands, D.N. Richardson and L.W. Stratton.

The main strengths of the collection include British and European land and freshwater, including a large quantity held in spirit. A large collection of tropical land snails this includes the Atkinson Memorial Collection. The largest collection is that of Sylvanus Charles Thorp Hanley, this contains large numbers of the freshwater as well as marine bivalves, and includes a large number of unionids, particularly from the USA. The Hanley collection contains original syntypic material from many of the great collectors of the 19th century. This collection and that of T.E.Crowley contains many of the type and figured specimens held by the museum. The Crowley collection includes material from the A.E.Salisbury collection including many Maynard types. (January 2001).

France

MUSEUM NATIONAL D’HISTOIRE NATURELLE (MNHN)
Laboratoire de Biology des Invertebres Marins et Malacologie
55 Rue de Buffon
Paris, France 75005
Curator: Dr. Philippe Bouchet
e-mail: pbouchet@mnhn.fr

Germany

FORSCHUNGSINSTITUT UND NATURMUSEUM SENCKENBERG (SMF)
Senckenberganlage 25
D-60325 Frankfurt a. Main, Germany
Curator: Dr. Ronald Janssen
e-mail: rjanssen@sng.uni-frankfurt.de
Phone: 049-69-7542237
Fax: 049-69-746238

The mollusc collection of the Senckenberg Museum is one of the major research collections. It comprises ca. 0.5 million lots of both recent and Tertiary fossil molluscs including several thousands of primary type specimens. Coverage is worldwide. Most important is the collection of land and freshwater material which is particulary strong in Palearctic and SE Asia (Japan, China, Thailand, Philippines). Especially well represented are the freshwater bivalves and the gastropod families Cyclophoridae, Pupillidae, Clausiliidae, Camaenidae, Helicidae. Marine collections include major holdings from European Seas, Eastern Atlantic and West Africa, the Caribbean, Red Sea, SE Asia, and Antarctica. Strength of the fossil collection is the European Tertiary. Collections include among others those of O.Boettger, R. Brandt, H.G.Bronn, R.v.Cosel, P. Ehrmann, K. Fischer, J. Goerges, V. Gredler, F. Haas, H.v. Ihering, S.H. Jaeckel, H. Kaltenbach, W. Kobelt, O.v. Moellendorff, F. Nordsieck, K.L. Pfeiffer, O. Reinhardt, E.A. Rossmaessler, E. Rueppell,, R. Schlickum. Many types and other materials are present of C.B. Adams, C.M. Cooke, H. Cuming, W. Dunker, F. Held, F. Krauss, H. C. Kuester, Th. Menke, L.J. Morelet, H. Nordsieck, L. Pfeiffer, R.A. Philippi, H. Schuett, W. Wenz, C.A. Westerlund, W.K. Weyrauch. The collection is not yet computerized. (June 1996).

ZOOLOGISCHE STAATSSAMMLUNG MUENCHEN (ZSM)
Sektion Mollusken
Muenchhausenstr. 21, D-81247
Muenchen (Munich), Germany
Curator: Michael Schroedl
e-mail: Michael.Schroedl@zsm.mwn.de
Phone: +49 89 8107 142
Curator: Dr. Bernhard Ruthensteiner
email: Ruthenst@zi.biologie.uni-muenchen.de
Phone: +49 89 8107 135
Collection Manager: Enrico Schwabe
email: Enrico.Schwabe@zsm.mwn.de
Phone +49 89 8107 143
Fax: +49 89 8107 300

Freshwater najades (including collection of H. Modell) 8000 lots, about 450 species/subspecies.

ZOOLOGISCHES INSTITUT UND MUSEUM DER UNIVERSITAET HAMBURG (ZMH)
Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3
D-20146 Hamburg, Germany
Curator: Bernhard Hausdorf
email: hausdorf@zoologie.uni-hamburg.de
Phone: +49-40-4123-2284
Fax: +49-40-4123-3937

MUSEUM fur NATURKUNDE der HUMBOLDT (ZMB)
Institute of Systematic Zoology
Department of Malacology
Invalidenstraße 43
D-10115 Berlin, Germany
Curator of Mollusca & Tentaculata: Matthias Glaubrecht, Ph.D.
email: Matthias.Glaubrecht@rz.hu-Berlin.de
Phone: +49 30 2093 8504
Fax: +49 30 2093 8528

HAUS DER NATUR – CISMAR (HNC)
Baederstrasse 26
D-23743 Cismar
Curator: Dr. Vollrath Wiese
e-mail: hausdernatur.vwiese@t-online.de
Phone: ..49-4366-1288
Fax: ..49-4366-1288

Privately owned museum with 100,000 lots of mostly recent molluscs; about 50,000 lots have been computerized. Land-, freshwater and marine molluscs represented, worldwide collection, some special parts well documented: e.g. nonmarine from central Europe, Albania, Greece (especially island of Crete); Liguus from Florida; marine coldwater molluscs (especially arctic). The collection contains some dozens of holotypes and hundreds of lots of syntypes, paratypes or other voucher specimens. (March 1998)

Italy

MUSEO MALACOLOGICO PICENO di CUPRA MARITTIMA
Via Adriatica Nord, 240
I – 63012 Cupra Marittima (AP), Italy
Curator: Dr. Tiziano Cossignani
e-mail: malacologia@fastnet.it
Phone: +39-735-777550
Fax: +39-735-777232

The world’s largest existing permanent exhibition of shells. Over 700,000 marine and freshwater shells and land-snails exhibited in a museum of 3,000 square metres. You can also admire: red and white corals, mother-of-pearl, and all that concerns the fantastic world of mollusca and shells. Estimated 7 million specimens arranged in more than 200,000 lots. Special attention was paid to the Conidae, Cypraeidae, Ranellidae, Marginellidae, Archeogastropoda, and Mediterranean Mollusca.

INSTITUTO DI GEOLOGIA MARINA
C.N.R.
via Gobetti 101
40129 Bologna, Italy
Curator: Dr. Marco Taviani

They have recent collections from around the world, including specimens in alcohol.

Netherlands

ZOOLOGISCH MUSEUM AMSTERDAM
Department of Malacology, University of Amsterdam
P.O.Box 94766 [visiting address: Mauritskade 57]
1090 GT Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Curator: Robert G. Moolenbeek
e-mail: moolenbeek@bio.uva.nl
phone: (0)20-5256294
fax: (0)20-5255402

The collection originates from the cabinet of the Amsterdam Zoo (ARTIS) which started in 1838 and acquired many important 18 and 19th century Dutch cabinets. During the turn of the century the collections became part of the University of Amsterdam and now includes the well known Schepman collection. The collection consists of about 3 million specimens and can be divided into:

  1. A type collection [dry and wet material, now being catalogued by computer]. A great part of the types are from the Siboga Expedition (marine shells S.E. Asia), landsnails described by Van Benthem Jutting from S.E.Asia and West Indian marine shells described by De Jong & Coomans.
  2. A collection of Recent and fossil material from the Netherlands.
  3. A worldwide dry and wet collection (with important historical material).
  4. A West Indian collection of land and marine species (The Wagenaar Hummelinck collection and several recently acquired collections still to be administrated).

The collection is on a cardfile and about 10% is computerized. In the last decade special attention was paid to the Conidae, Macaronesian Islands, West Indies and N.W.Indian Ocean (Oman and Persian/Arabian Gulf). (September 1996).

Scotland

NATIONAL MUSEUMS OF SCOTLAND (RSM)
Department of Natural History
Chambers Street
Edinburgh, Scotland EH1 1JF
Curator: David Heppell
e-mail: dh@nms.ac.uk
Phone: +44 (0)131 247 4298
Fax: +44 (0)131 220 4819

The National Museums of Scotland have large worldwide collections of Unionacea and other freshwater families of Mollusca, almost all as shell (non-alcohol) material. Some of it is pre-1860 and of considerable historical interest. Our strengths are in British marine and non-marine, north-east Atlantic marine including deep-sea material and worldwide terrestrial. Also a fair amount of Antarctic marine, mostly from the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition, 1902-04, but with modern additions from the Falkland Islands.

Spain

MUSEO NACIONAL DE CIENCIAS NATURALES (MNCN)
Josè Gutièrrez Abascal, 2
28006 – Madrid, Spain
Curator: Oscar Soriano
Phone: 91 411 13 28
Fax: 91 564 50 78
e-mail: mncnh149@mncn.csic.es
Assistant curator: Miguel Villena
no e-mail

The mollusc collection of the MNCN is composed of about 300,000 specimens from around the world. The collection contains excellent representation from the Iberian Peninsula, Philippines, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea and South America (Bivalvia 25,000 lots, Gastropoda 10,5000 lots, Cephalopoda 400 lots and others 2,000 lots).

The origin of the collection is the same as that of the Museum; founded in 1771 with the purchase of the Franco Davila Collection. Subsequently it was increased with the acquisition of new collections from spanish researches (Hidalgo, Paz y Membiela, Azpeitia, Quadras, Rolán, and the Fauna Ibérica Project). The collections were not actively curated for about a half a century. The curation and scientific use was re-initiated in 1985. New preservation and management methods were used. Computerization of the collections is in progress. Different research lines to improve curation and recuperation of historic collections have been initiated.

The mollusc collection includes about 3,000 type specimens of 461 specific or subspecific taxa (327 of them are name-bearing types). From these taxa, 237 are marine Gastropoda, 190 terrestrial Gastropoda, 11 freshwater Gastropoda, 21 Bivalvia, and 2 Polyplacophora. Regarding the geographic location of type localities of the marine taxa, 64.5 % are from the Eastern Atlantic coast (mostly from West Africa), 18.3 % from the Caribbean Sea, 11.2 % from the Mediterranean Sea, and the others from different localities within the Indo-Pacific area (mainly the Philippines), and Antarctica. Concerning the continental taxa, 33.1 % come from the Americas (mostly Cuba), 27.5 % from Spain, 20.2 % from Asia (mostly the Philippines), and 18.8 % from Africa.

Sweden

NATURHISTORISKA RIKSMUSSET (NHRM)
SWEDISH MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
Department of Invertebrate Zoology
P.O. Box 50007
S-10405, Stockholm, Sweden
Curator: Dr. Anders Warén
e-mail: ev-anders@nrm.se
Phone: +46-8-666 4086
fax: +46-8-6664125

The collections of molluscs are centered on Northern Europe and the Arctic area, but we also have good collections from southern South America and Antarctica. They comprise about 45,000 lots in alcohol and 200,000 dry lots. Nothing is computer catalogued and only the type- and alcohol collections have a handwritten catalogue, but it has two entries, one numeric and one systematic, which makes it easy to find ones way. The molluscan type collection contains primary types of about 800 species, but still much remains to be pulled out from the land- and freshwater molluscs.

Authors of interest are, of course, usually Scandinavian (although the types of Linné are in Uppsala and London and many of Westerlund are in Göteborg). Some names worth mentioning are S. Lovén, N. Odhner, M. & G.O. Sars, W. Leche, C.W.S. Aurivillius, A. d’Ailly, T.A. Verkrüzen, H. Schlesch, and H.P.C. Möller. Also two non-Scandinavian authors are worth mentioning: F. Krauss (almost all remaining S. African molluscs), H. Strebel (all remaining South American molluscs plus all Antarctic species). In addition to this there is, of course, the usual mixture of secondary and primary types of uncertain status from 19th century authors, obtained through exchange, and dating back to the Sowerbys and forward. (July 1996).

Switzerland

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, BERNE SWITZERLAND (NMBE)
Bernastrasse 15
CH-3005 Berne, Switzerland
Phone: +41 31 350′ 71′ 11
Fax: +41 31 350′ 74′ 99
Malacology
Curator: Dr. Margret Gosteli

Collection Statistics: Molluscs of the world: Coll. Robert. J. Shuttleworth, 1874, (~120,000, many type specimens); Coll. August Vogt, 1969, (~4,000 ) Seashells of the world: Coll. Edward J. K. Cross, 1994, (~7,500) Seashells from Mozambique: Coll. Eleonore Graf, 1961/73, (~12,000) Land snails (esp. from Africa): Coll. H. Guilmin, 1920, (~6,000) Freshwater snails from Thailand, landsnails from Libya: Coll. Rolf A. Brandt, 1976, (~12,000, many paratypes) Molluscs of Switzerland: Coll. Samuel Studer, 1835, (~1,000 & type specimens). (July 1996).

Wales

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WALES (NMWZ)
Melvill-Tomlin Collection
Cardiff, UK, CF1 3NP
Curator: Graham Oliver
Phone: (01222) 573221
e-mail: Graham.Oliver@nmgw.ac.uk
Curator: Mary Seddon (Terrestrial Mollusca)
e-mail: Mary.Seddon@nmgw.ac.uk
Phone: (01222) 573343
Collection Manager: Alison Trew
Phone: (01222) 573244
e-mail: Alison.Trew@nmgw.ac.uk
Zoology Dept. Office: (01222) 573224
Fax: (01222) 239009

For those of you who do not know of the M-T collection it is the second largest Molluscan collection in the UK, with ca. 5000 types specimens, and circa. 150,000 lots covering all parts of the world.

The biggest collection is the Melvill-Tomlin collection, but other large collections are held here including Davy-Dean, Tom Pain. We have identified some 700 sources of material, as both Melvill and Tomlin swapped with other collectors. Types of Pfeiffer, Sowerby, Ancey, Pallary, Tomlin, Melvill, Preston, Kobelt, Gude, Cox, Hedley to name a few I know.

Modern collections include freshwater material from the UK, stored in 70% IMS. I will arrange to send you handlists of Unionids and other bivalves and Cerithoidea (Non-marine). Geographical coverage is world-wide (US, South America, Europe and Africa). Number of lots difficult to assess. Possibly 20% of collection.

Land-Molluscs represent nearly 30% of the collection (estimated at 75,000 lots). Main collections include Melvill-Tomlin, Pain, Cambridge, Holyoak-Seddon. Modern collections in spirit for NW. Africa, Europe and Atlantic Islands. Strengths are Europe, Africa, Australia and the Pacific. Contact Curator Mary Seddon

Bivalves again represent nearly 30% of the collection. Main collections include Melvill-Tomlin (including Townsend) Pain, Dance. Modern collections in spirit for Europe, Red Sea, Persian Gulf and South China Sea. Strengths are Indo-Pacific. Contact Assistant Keeper Graham Oliver. (July 1996).

Asia

India

ZOOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA (ZSI)
4-4 A.J.C. Bose Road
Calcutta 700 053, India
Curator: N.V. Subba Rao

Israel

NATIONAL MOLLUSC COLLECTION OF ISRAEL (HUJ)
Department of Evolution,Systematics and Ecology
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
91904 Jerusalem, Israel
Academic head: Prof. Joseph Heller
e-mail: Heller@vms.huji.ac.il
Phone: 972-2-6585877
Fax: 972-2-6584741
Curator and Librarian: Henk K. Mienis

The collection consists of two parts: the local mollusc collection of the Middle East: marine molluscs from the East Mediterranean and Red Sea, and land and freshwater molluscs from the Levant; and a general mollusc collection consisting of ca. 20,000 species, formed by the former collections of G.S. Coen, A. Blok and R. Neuville. Many type specimens in the Coen and Blok collections; a growing number of types of recently described local species. A rich malacological library. Research is mainly concentrated on local mollusc fauna of the Middle East and deals with taxonomy, systematics, nomenclature, zoogeography, biology, ecology, predation, conservation, polymorphism, Lessepsian migration, G.I.S. -mapping and Archaeo-malacology. (July 1996).

Russia

ZOOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF MOSCOW STATE UNIVERSITY (MMSU)
Bol’shaya Nikitskaya Str. 6
Moscow 103009, Russia
Curators: Dr. Alexander V. Sysoev and Dr. Dmitri L. Ivanov
e-mail: ivanov@zoomus.bio.msu.su

Collection contains large number of marine, terrestrial and freshwater mollusks from around the world. Approximately 75%% are from around former USSR – terrestrial mollusks from southernmost parts of former USSR up to the polar circle, and marine mollusks from seas around former USSR – White Sea, Barentz Sea, Eastern Siberian Sea, Laptev Sea, Chukchi sea, Sea of Okhotsk, Sea of Japan, Bering Sea, Pacific Ocean, Black Sea, Caspian Sea, Azov Sea, Aral Sea. Collections are rich in Trochidae, Buccinidae, Turridae, and some other groups. Freshwater collections include some rare material from the Lake Baikal, and specimens from lakes and rivers throughout the former USSR.

ZOOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF THE RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES (ZIL)
University Naberezhnaya, 1
St. Petersbourgh 199064, Russia
Curator: Dr. Boris I. Sirenko
e-mail: sbi@zisp.spb.su

Similar holdings to those of Moscow State University plus an excellent collection of tropical mollusks.

The largest mollusk collection in Russia (about 200,000 lots). Similar holdings in diversity structure to those of Zoological Museum of Moscow State University, plus excellent collections of Arctic and Antarctic marine molluscs. Freshwater collections include huge and rare material from lakes and rivers throughout the former USSR.

ZOOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF THE FAR EAST STATE UNIVERSITY
Okeansky pr., 37
Vladivostok, 69000, Russia
Contact: Konstantin A. Lutaenko.

Collections have mostly recent material predominantly from the northern Pacific.

Singapore

ZOOLOGICAL REFERENCE COLLECTION (ZRC)

Scientific Officer: Mrs. Yang Chang Man
Phone: 7722875
e-mail: zooycm@nus.sg

The Zoological Reference Collection (ZRC) is formerly the collection of the Raffles Museum (now the National Museum of Singapore). When the National Museum became the museum of archaeology, ethnology and history in 1972, the reference specimens together with the zoology books of the museum were transferred to the National University of Singapore (then University of Singapore).

The ZRC holds about 250,0000 specimens of all aniaml groups back dated to early 1800s. It is the best Southeast Asian fauna collection in the region and is frequently consulted by local and foreign scholors for their research. We are in the process of cataloguing the specimens, and MUSE Database System is being used for computerising the bird and fish collections for easier retrieval of data.

The collection represents the zoological research work conducted in Singapore since 1840. It also incorporates the materials of other museums (e.g. Federated Malay States Museums), universities and research institutions. It is the largest and most complete Southeast Asian fauna collection in the region. At present, the ZRC contains about 250,000 specimens (comprising about 15,000 mammals, 31,000 birds, 7,000 reptiles and amphibians, 50,000 fishes, 21,000 molluscs, 30,000 crabs, 14,000 prawns, 50,000 insects and 30,000 other invertebrates) that represent the fauna of Vietnam, Laos, Burma, Cambodia, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Cocos Keeling Islands, Christmas Island and other adjacent Islands. Many of the specimens were collected in places where the habitats have since been destroyed by human activities.
This remarkable fauna collection was assembled mainly by a number of renowned zoologists, such as R. Hanitsch, H.N. Ridley, C. Hose, H.C. Robinson, C.B. Kloss, H.M. Pendlebury, F.N. Chasen, C.J. Aagaard, E. Banks, E. Jacobson, C.A. Gibson-Hill, M.W.F. Tweedie, R. Serene, E.R. Alfred and many other researchers. Recent collections include specimens from the Department of Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre (SEAFDEC), Asian Fisheries Society, etc.

Africa

South Africa

NATAL MUSEUM (NMP)
Department of Mollusca
Private Bag 9070
Pietermaritzburg, 3200
South Africa
Chief Curator: Dr. Richard N. Kilburn
e-mail: dkilburn@nmsa.org.za
Chief Curator: Dr. David G. Herbert
e-mail: dherbert@nmsa.org.za
Assistant: Mrs Linda Davis
Phone (for all): (0331)-451404
Fax: (0331)-450561

Collection worldwide, most comprehensive in southern African marine, land and freshwater molluscs, also western Indian Ocean, particularly Mozambique and Mascarenes.

Australia and the Pacific

Australia

THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM (AMS)
Division of Invertebrate Zoology
Malacology Section
6 College Street
Sydney, NSW 2010
Australia
Research Scientist: Dr. Winston F. Ponder
Phone: (02) 9320 6120
e-mail: winstonp@austmus.gov.au
Research Scientist: Dr. Bill Rudman
Phone: (02) 9320 6125
e-mail: billr@austmus.gov.au
Collection Manager: Ian Loch
Phone: (02) 9320 6166
e-mail: ianl@austmus.gov.au
fax (for all): (02) 9320 6050

The mollusc collection is one of the world’s largest, covering all groups of Recent and Tertiary molluscs. Most of the specimens are dry shells including a small collection of Recent brachiopods but there is also a large collection of preserved molluscs. The Australian Museum Research Library collections held in the Malacology Section are very comprehensive and include many early works. (April 1997)

THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM (WAM)
Department of Aquatic Zoology
Mollusc Section
Francis Street
Perth, WA 6000
Australia
Curator: Ms Shirley Slack-Smith
Phone: (08) 9427 2747
e-mail: shirley.slack-smith@museum.wa.gov.au
Curator: Dr Fred Wells (currently on extended leave)
Senior Technical Officer: Mr Clay Bryce
Phone: (08) 9427 2746
e-mail: brycec@museum.wa.gov.au
fax (for all): (08) 9427 2882

We have a large collection of both dry and wet specimens of extant species of all molluscan groups. These are mainly from Australia – particularly from Western Australia – and so represent the tropical Indo-West Pacific, Southern Australian endemic and west coast endemic marine faunas. Our collections also include a strong representation of marine specimens from South East Asian areas as well as from other parts of the Indo-West Pacific region. We have a large collection of photographic slides, particularly of the opisthobranch specimens in our wet collection. Our terrestrial and freshwater collections reflect the importance of the family Camaenidae and of the genus Bothriembryon of the family Bulimulidae in the Western Australian fauna. (August 1998)

New Zealand

AUCKLAND INSTITUTE AND MUSEUM
Private Bag
Auckland 1, New Zealand
Curator: Dr. Bruce Hayward

Large recent collections which are over 100 years old. The collection grew substantially under the 50 years of custodianship by Dr. A.W.B. Powell (1920s-1970s), who established one of the largest and most comprehensive mollusc collections in the southern hemisphere. The collections comprise approximately 150 000 specimen lots, including the largest collection of type molluscs (c.1600 holotypes) in New Zealand and possibly the most comprehensive collection anywhere of land snails form the SW Pacific Islands and New Zealand. Collections of Powell (Turridae) andChernohorsky (Mitridae and Nassariidae). Also included are approximately 20 000 New Zealand fossil mollusc lots including several hundred types. (July 1997)

CANTERBURY MUSEUM
Christchurch, New Zealand

Both Cz and recent collections.

MUSEUM OF NEW ZEALAND (NMNZ)
Te Papa Tongarewa
P.O. Box 467
Wellington, New Zealand
Curator: Dr. Bruce Marshall
Phone: (04) 3817306
e-mail: brucem@tepapa.govt.nz
fax: (04) 3817310

ca. 260,000 lots, mostly Recent, some Tertiary (including ca. 70,000 lots of land and freshwater) plus ca. 20,000 lots in alcohol). Worldwide with special emphasis on the New Zealand region. The largest and most comprehensive collection of Mollusca from the New Zealand region. Includes collections of F.W. Hutton, H. Suter, W.R.B. Oliver, R. Murdoch, R.K. Dell, W.F. Ponder, B.A. Marshall, F.M. Climo, P.C. Mayhill, D.J. Roscoe, P.R. Jamieson, D.W. Burton, M.C. Miller, and J. Graham.

Philippines

UNIVERSITY OF SAN CARLOS
Department of Biology
Cebu City 6000, Philippines
Curator of Marine Collections: Dave Anthony Valles
Phone: +63-32-3461128
fax: +63-32-3460351
e-mail: mbs@mangga.usc.edu.ph

Fossil Collections

NORTH AMERICA

Alabama

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF ALABAMA (GSA)
Paleontological Collection
P.O. Box O
Tuscaloosa, AL 35486-9780
Curator: Andrew K. Rindsberg
e-mail: arindsberg@ogb.gsa.tuscaloosa.al.us
Phone (205) 349-2852
fax: (205) 349-2861

The Geological Survey of Alabama houses one of the oldest collections of fossils in the southeastern United States. Michael Tuomey founded the collection in 1847. Major collectors include Truman H. Aldrich, Daniel W. Langdon, Winnie McGlamery, Otto Meyer, E. R. Showalter, Eugene A. Smith, Lyman D. Toulmin, and the remarkable Herbert H. Smith (Curator, 1910-19). Two-thirds of the material is from Alabama, with substantial collections from the southeastern U.S., California, France, and Germany. Although all periods are represented, the glory of the collection consists of Paleocene-Eocene mollusks from such classic Alabama river bluffs as Claiborne, Hatchetigbee Bluff, Woods Bluff, Bells Landing, Greggs Landing, Nanafalia, and Naheola, where virtually every shell is a topotype. The collection is particularly rich in large and unusual specimens.

Most of the collection is uncataloged (perhaps 40,000 to 100,000 lots); the majority are of fossil mollusks. Specimens are arranged stratigraphically, affording an opportunity to see species within a paleoecologic context. The GSA houses about 150 primary types of fossil mollusks, and uncounted topotypes. More than 2000 collection localities have been registered. Visitors are welcome, and are advised to make arrangements in advance. (July 1997)

California

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA MUSEUM OF PALEONTOLOGY 
1101 Valley Life Sciences Building
Berkeley, CA 94720
Phone: (510) 642-1821
Fax: (510) 642-1822
e-mail: paleomus@ucmp1.berkeley.edu

Colorado

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO MUSEUM
Geological Section
Campus Box 315, Hunter Bldg.
Boulder, CO 80309-0315
Curator: Dr. Peter Robinson
e-mail: robinsp@stripe.Colorado.edu
Phone: 303-492-8069
Fax: 303-495-5105
Grad. Ass’t: Paul Murphey
Research Associate: Dr. Emmett Evanoff (non-marine Tertiary molluscs)

The University of Colorado Museum has a fossil as well as recent mollusk collection consisting of over 13,000 catalogued lots including some types. The emphasis is on Tertiary non-marine mollusks (Junius Henderson Collection) and to a lesser extent Cretaceous mollusks of the Western Interior. The bulk of the information on these collections is computerized; only the most recent ones are not on the system. Recently acquired fossil collections are concentrated on the Eocene of the Rocky Mountains.

COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES
Department of Geology and Geological Engineering
Golden, CO 80401
Assistant Curator: Bryan Cooney
Voice mail: (303) 273-3854

Florida

FLORIDA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
Invertebrate Paleontology

The collection contains 166,500+ specimens, 75% of which are mollusks.

Mexico

UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTONOMA DE MEXICO (UNAM)
Instituto de Geologia
Department of Paleontology
Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacan
Mexico, D. F. 04510
Director: Dr. Dante Moran-Zenteno
Curator: Dr. Carmen Perrilliat-Montoya

Large fossil collections (including types) of all ages from the territory of Mexico.

South America

Argentina

UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE LA PLATA
Division Paleozoologia Invertebrados
Facultidad De Ciencias Naturales y Museo
Paseo del Bosque, 1900
La Plata, Argentina
Curator: Dr. Miguel Griffin

CENTRO DE INVESTIGACIONES
Eu Recursos Geologicos (CIRGEO)
Rue de Velazco 847 (1414)
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Curators: Prof. Horacio Camacho & Dr. Claudia del Rio

They are big on Cenozoic mollusks from Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.

Uruguay

UNIVERSIDAD DE LA REPUBLICA
Department of Paleontology (FCDP-I)
Facultad de Ciencias
Igua s/n y Mataojo
11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
Curator: Dr. Sergio Martinez
Phone: (598-2) 525-8618
Fax: (598-2) 525-8617
e-mail: smart@fcien.edu.uy

Contents: fossil molluscs from Uruguay, mainly Devonian and Cenozoic

Europe

Austria

INSTITUT FUR PALAONTOLOGIE DER UNIVERSITAT WIEN
Geozentrum
Althanstrasse 14
A-1090 Vienna, Austria
Curator: Dr. Karl Rauscher

NATURHISTORISHES MUSEUM WIEN
Geologish-Palaontologishe Abteilung
A-1014 Wien
Postfach 417, Austria
Curator: Dr. Heinz Kollmann

Cz and Mz (some Pz also, as far as I know) molluscan collections.

GEOLOGISCHE BUNDESANSTALT
Rasumofskygasse 23
Postfach 127
A-1031 Vienna, Austria
Curator: Dr. Franz Stojaspal

Belgium

INSTITUTE ROYAL DES SCIENCES NATURELLE DE BELGIQUE
Department of Paleontology
Fossil Invertebrates
Rue Vautier 29
B-1040 Bruxelles, Belgium
Curator: Dr. Anne Dhondt

Large Cz and Mz molluscan collections from around Europe (mostly).

Bulgaria

INSTITUTE OF GEOLOGY
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Akademik Geogii Bonchev street
Block 24
Sofia 1113 Bulgaria
Contact: Mr. Petar Nikolov

England

THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM
Department of Palaeontology
Mollusc and Brachiopod Curation Group
Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD
Collections Manager: John Cooper
e-mail: jco@nhm.ac.uk
Brachiopod curation: Sarah Long
e-mail: sll@nhm.ac.uk
Cephalopod curation: Steve Baker
e-mail: stb@nhm.ac.uk
non-Ceph Mollusca: Paul Jeffery
e-mail: paj@nhm.ac.uk
Fax (all): 0181 938 9277

The collections date from the mid 18th century, and include those of Charles Darwin, William Smith, and the Sowerbys among many other famous names. They comprise approximately 1 million fossil and recent Brachiopoda, 350,000 fossil Cephalopoda and 5.1 million non-cephalopod Mollusca; of which approximately 38,000 are type or figured specimens. The collections have a world-wide coverage, with greatest strengths in U.K. and Western European areas; they include all ages from Early Palaeozoic through to Recent. Computer cataloguing of the collections is ongoing, with approximately 9000 entries databased in the last 12 months.

Germany

INSTITUT FUR PALENTOLOGIE
Rheinishe Freidrich-Wilhelms-Universitat
Nuballee 8-D-5300 Bonn 1
Germany

Italy

MUSEO REGIONALE DI SCIENZE NATURALLI
Torino, Italy

Cz molluscan collections of Bellardi and Sacco are stored there.

Monoco

INSTITUTE OCEANOGRAPHIQUE
Avenue Sain-Martin
Monaco Ville, Monoco

Famous shell collection of Prince Albert stored there.

Scotland

HUNTERIAN MUSEUM 
University of Glasgow
University Avenue
Glasgow, Scotland, UK
G12 8QQ
Curator of Palaeontology: Neil Clark
Phone: 0141 330 4221
fax: 0141 307 8059
email: nclark@museum.gla.ac.uk, kingham@museum.gla.ac.uk

The mollusc collection includes a large number of type and figured specimens. A significant part of the collections are the Mesozoic/Caenozoic Gregory collection from Somaliland and other parts of Africa, and Palaeozoic/Mesozoic collections from Scotland. The number of specimens are in the tens of thousands and are mostly from thesis collections and other research collections built up by staff and students of the University of Glasgow.

Sweden

SWEDISH MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
Department of Paleozoology
Box 50007
S-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
Contact: Jan Bergstrom
Phone: 08-666-4000

INSTITUTE OF EARTH SCIENCE-PALEONTOLOGY
Uppsala University
Norbyvagen 22, S-752 36
Uppsala, Sweden
Curator: Dr. John S. Peel

Africa

South Africa

SOUTH AFRICAN MUSEUM
P.O. Box 61
Cape Town, 8000, South Africa
Curator: Dr. John Pether
Phone: (021) 243330
Fax: (021) 246716

Asia

India

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA
Paleontology and Stratigraphy
27 J.L. Nehru Road,
Calcutta 16, 700016, India

Cenozoic collections.

Japan

INSTITUTE OF GEOLOGY AND PALEONTOLOGY
Faculty of Science
Tohoku University
Aobayama, Sendai 980, Japan

Large Cz and Mz fossil mollusk collections (including types) from Japanese Islands. Bottom line: If you want to study Japanese fossils – go to Tohoku. They also have a Museum for Geology and Paleontology based on the University.
Not sure who is the right person to contact. It used to be Dr. Kenshiro Ogasawara, but I also contacted a guy Yashifumi Yurui, who, I think, is the collection manager.

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM AND INSTITUTE
Chiba, 955-2 Aoba-cho
Chiba 280, Japan
Tel: (0472)65-3111
Fax: (0472)66-2481
Curator (fossil collections): Dr. R. Morita

Fairly large collections of Cenozoic material from Japan.

INSTITUTE OF GEOSCIENCES
Faculty of Science
Shizuoka University
836 OYA
Shizuoka City 422, Japan
Curator: Dr. Ryuichi Majima

They used to have some Cz and Mz molluscan collections.

INSTITUTE OF GEOSCIENCE
The University of Tsukuba
Tsukuba 305, Japan
Curator: Dr. Hiroshi Noda

Cenozoic collections.

NATIONAL SCIENCE MUSEUM
Department of Geology,
Tokyo, Japan
Curator: Dr. Tomoki Kase.

I know they have a good size Cz and Mz mollusk collection.

TOBA AQUARIUM

Largest shell collection in Japan (one of the largest in the world) formerly belonged to the Emperor of Japan.

Korea

PUSAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
Department of Geology
Pusan 609-735, Korea
Curator: Dr. Sun Yoon

They used to have Cz and Mz molluscan collections.

Russia

MOSCOW STATE UNIVERSITY
Department of Geology
Paleontology Division
Lenin Hills 119899
Moscow, Russia
Curator: Dr. Ludmilla V. Titova
Phone: (095) 939-4975

Broad spectrum of fossil collections of all groups of mollusks of almost all ages.

INSTITUTE OF GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS
Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences
University Prospect, 3
Novosibirsk-90
630090, Russia
Contact: Dr. Alexander Beizel

Mostly Mezozic and Paleozoic mollusks, Cephalopoda, Gastropoda, Monoplacophora.

CHERNYCHEV’S CENTRAL GEOLOGICAL MUSEUM
All Union Geologic Research Institute
Sredniii prospect, 74
St. Petersbourgh, 199026 Russia

Large collections of all groups and ages, including type collections from all over former USSR.

PALEONTOLOGICAL INSTITUTE AND
PALEONTOLOGICAL MUSEUM
Russian Academy of Sciences
Profsoyuznaya Street, 123
Moscow, 117647, Russia
Cenozoic Mollusks: Dr. Oleg V. Amitrov
Phone: (095) 135-0160
Collection Manager: Ms. Tatyana Sharbatyan
Phone: (095) 339-2122

Large collections of all groups and ages, predominantly from the territory of the former USSR and Mongolia. Large holotype collections.

Australia and the Pacific

MUSEUM OF VICTORIA (NMV)
Department of Invertebrate Paleontology
285 Swanton Street
Post box 6663 Melbourne 3001
Victoria, Australia
Curator: Dr. Thomas A. Darragh.
Phone: 03 9669 9889
email: tdarragh@mov.vic.gov.au
Fax: 03 9669 3669

Good collections of European Mesozoic and Tertiary molluscs. Comprehensive collections from the Tertiary of southern Australia (i.e. Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania). We have types of F. McCoy, F. Chapman, E.H. Chapple, F. Singleton, G.B. Pritchard, C. Teichert and T.A. Darragh, all of whom worked in Victoria, as well types described by other workers based on material loaned from our collections. The entire type collection is computerized, but not yet available for on-line queries.

AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM
6 College Street
Sydney, New South Wales 2000, Australia
Collection Manager: Robert Jones
e-mail: robertj@amsg.austmus.oz.au
Phone: 612 320 6334
Fax: 612 320 6050
CZ molluscs Collection Manager: Ian Loch
e-mail: ianl@amsg.austmus.oz.au

Collection consists of PZ and MZ molluscs from eastern Australia being predominantly Permian bivalves and gastropods and Cretaceous cephalopods.

INSTITUTE OF GEOLOGICAL AND NUCLEAR SCIENCES
(former New Zealand Geological Survey)
P.O.Box 30368
Lower Hutt, New Zealand
Curator: Dr. Ian Keyes

Large fossil (incl. type) collections, including those of Marwick and Fleming.

UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO
Department of Geology
Box 56
Dunedin, New Zealand

Cenozoic fossil collections. There is also the Otago Museum in Dunedin, which has some Cenozoic (including type) collections.

TASMANIAN MUSEUM
Department of Geology
40 Macquarie Street
Hobart 7000
GPO Box 1164M
Hobart 7001
Tasmania, Australia
Curator of Geology: Mr Noel R. Kemp
e-mail: mus_noelk@ecc.tased.edu.au
Phone: + 61 (0)02 350 720
Fax. + 61 (0)02 347 139

Cz and Pz, mostly Tasmanian, including types

 

Shell Clubs and Institutions