These animals belong to the phylum Mollusca. Molluscs include chitons, clams, mussels, snails, nudibranchs (sea-slugs), tusk shells, octopus and squid. The study of molluscs is called malacology.

Characteristics of molluscs

• Unsegmented soft body
• Most have internal or external shell
• Have a mantle (fold in the body wall that lines the shell)
• Muscular foot and/or tentacles

Research

The research effort of the section is mainly concentrated on the marine and freshwater snails and sea-slugs. Much of the work is taxonomic, with an emphasis on world-wide, or at least Indo-West Pacific, revisions of groups, but studies on aspects of the biology, ecology and evolution of particular species are also taking place.

Projects

• Overview of the Conservation of Australian Marine Invertebrates - a report for Environment Australia - July 2002. ( Also available in PDF format - 3.39mb, a FREE reader is available from Adobe)
• Classification, diversity and phylogeny of gastropods.
• Freshwater molluscs of Australia.
• Mollusc conservation.
• Micro-snails.
• Taxonomy & Systematics in the Australian Museum
• Taxonomic and anatomical studies of opisthobranch sea-slugs.
• Biology of 'solar-powered' sea-slugs with symbiotic plants inside their bodies.
• The evolution and purpose of colour patterns in marine invertebrates.
• Opisthobranch Molluscs of New Caledonia.
• Supervising post-graduate research
• Sea Slug Forum
• Small marine bivalves

Staff

Winston Ponder (Principal Research Scientist)
Bill Rudman (Principal Research Scientist)
Ian Loch (Malacology Collection Supervisor)
Janet Waterhouse (Technical Officer)
Alison Miller (Technical Officer)
Jaynia Tarnawski (Technical Officer)
Holly Barlow (Technical Officer)
Peter Middelfart (Scientific Officer)

Collections

The mollusc collection is one of the world's largest, covering all groups of Recent and Tertiary molluscs. Many of the specimens are dry shells, but there is also a large collection of preserved molluscs. The collections date from the 1860s and include marine, terrestrial and freshwater molluscs. They are predominantly from Australia and the South West Pacific, but include world-wide material. To date, only a small part of the collections are computerised (175,000 lots at Nov. 2002).The Australian Museum Research Library collections held in the Malacology Section are very comprehensive and include many early works.

The type collection comprises more than 10,000 type lots, including more than 4600 primary types. There are also thousands of figured and cited specimens.

Access to the collections and collection data held in Malacology should be arranged through Ian Loch, Malacology Collection Supervisor.

Further Information

Malacology Type Collection
Mollusc Picture Gallery
Mollusc Websites
Sea Slug Forum
NSW Threatened and Endangered Landsnail species
The Malacological Society of Australasia
Des Beechey's Seashells of New South Wales

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