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Alberto Villari

  • Biodiversity Journal, 8 (4): 937-942

    Alberto Villari
    A new remarkable species of the Alvania scabra (Philippi, 1844) group from the Ionian Sea: A. scuderii n. sp.(Gastropoda Rissoidae)

    ABSTRACT
    A new species of Alvania Risso, 1826 (Gastropoda Rissoidae) is described, based on 80 living specimens and shells found in Eastern Sicily, Ionian Sea, between Messina and Catania. This new species belongs to the A. scabra (Philippi, 1844) group. The description, pictures, and drawing of the soft parts are presented in this paper. There are also comparisons with other Mediterranean and Atlantic similar species briefly reported towards the end.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 8 (1): 193-204 - MONOGRAPH

    Alberto Villari & Danilo Scuderi
    Taxonomical notes on some poorly known mollusca species from the Strait of Messina (Italy)

    ABSTRACT
    The finding of some species of Mollusca interesting either for their distributional pattern, taxonomy or simply for the new iconography here presented are reported. Some species represent the first finding in Italian waters or the first record of living specimens. As a consequence, they furnished interesting data on habitat preferences and the external morphology of the living animal, which are hereafter reported. The taxonomy of some problematic taxa is here discussed, reporting new name combinations, while for others the question remains open. Discussions, comparisons and a new iconography are here reported and discussed.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 3 (2): 151-152

    Pasquale Micali & Alberto Villari
    New report of Neolepton discriminatum Palazzi et Villari, 2001 for Ustica island (Bivalvia, Veneroida, Neoleptonidae)

    ABSTRACT
    A complete specimen and two loose valves of Neolepton discriminatum Palazzi et Villari, 2001 were found in Ustica island, at Punta Spalmatore at a depth of about 30 m. Up to now, this species was known only for the original description, based on specimens collected inside submarine caves of the coast near Taormina (North-Eastern Sicily). In the same sample of shell grit it was encountered also a specimen of Skeneoides digeronimoi La Perna, 1998, a species the description of which is based on material collected inside a cave of Ustica, on the opposite side of the island, about four miles away from Punta Spalmatore.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 15 (3): 731-740 - MONOGRAPH

    Danilo Scuderi & Alberto Villari
    Taxonomical notes on some poorly known mollusca species from the Strait of Messina (Italy): second contribution
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2024.15.3.731.740

    ABSTRACT
    Changes in currents and temperature of the sea water, the intensification of maritime traffic and the increment of knowledge on the taxonomy of some groups of molluscs justify the present second contribution to the knowledge of poorly known species of Mollusca of the interesting biotope constituted by the Strait of Messina (North-Eastern Sicily). As our previous work, the aim of this new contribution is to give a better taxonomic definition and a new iconography, through photographs and drawings of the shell - as well as the external soft parts of the living animals when possible - of problematic species of Mollusca which have stimulated our curiosity due to their rarity, scanty findings or poor knowledge or definition of their taxonomy. Among others, Rissoellidae are present with dense populations during the summer season: new investigations on their animal chromatism gave light to species assemblage in the studied environment and a better delineation of the single species, whose shell resulted scarce of morphological characters, being minute, almost smooth and colourless.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 15 (2): 311-317 - MONOGRAPH

    Alberto Villari, Giovanni Ammendolia, Danilo Scuderi & Pietro Battaglia
    New stranding records of Janthina janthina (Linnaeus, 1758) (Gastropoda Epitoniidae) in the central Mediterranean Sea (Strait of Messina, Italy) and observations on its behaviour
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2024.15.2.311.317
    Additional files

    ABSTRACT
    An unusual occurrence and massive stranding of the pelagic snail Janthina janthina (Linnaeus, 1758) (Gastropoda Epitoniidae) is reported along the Sicilian coast of the Strait of Messina (Italy). The diet of the Mediterranean species consisting of Porpita porpita (Linnaeus, 1758) and Velella velella (Hydrozoa) is reported. Further information on the genus Janthina Röding, 1798 are provided. Charts, photographs and a video clip on the construction of the ‘raft’ by the mollusc and its predatory behaviour are attached.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 14 (3): 0505-0512

    Danilo Scuderi, Alberto Villari & Agatino Reitano
    Another new eulimid (Gastropoda Eulimidae) from the Mediterranean Sea: Vitreolina micalii n. sp.
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2023.14.3.505.512
    https://www.zoobank.org/E82BBB63-BF8B-4B25-B6B3-27C4DACBF0E8

    ABSTRACT
    Vitreolina micalii n. sp. (Gastropoda Eulimidae) is here described on materials found in shallow waters along the Northern coast of Catania (Eastern Sicily, Ionian Sea). Findings include both live-taken and empty specimens, whose shell and soft parts have been observed and documented. Further specimens have been found in few other localities of Sicily and Corsica. The new species is morphologically distinguishable by a spiny, smooth shell, similar to some other congeners except for some details, and a sculptured protoconch. The different external chromatism of the soft parts is similar only to V. perminima, but it is different in some aspect hereafter discussed. Differences from similar species from Eastern Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific are useful to discard the alien origin of this species in the Mediterranean Sea.