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Walter Renda

  • Biodiversity Journal, 9 (3): 255-270

    Salvatore Giacobbe & Walter Renda
    Infralittoral molluscs from the Scilla cliff (Strait of Messina, Central Mediterranean)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2018.9.3.255.270

    ABSTRACT
    The mollusc taxocoenosis characterizing the photophilic zone of the Scilla cliff (Strait of Messina, Central Mediterranean) has been described on hard bottom samples from 6, 16 and 24 m depth. Seasonality has been evaluated by replicates carried out in autumn and spring. Overall, 229 benthic taxa have been recorded, 87 of which occurred in both seasons, while 109 were exclusively recorded in spring and 29 only in autumn. Specimen abundance also notably decreased from autumn to spring (1581 and 892 individuals, respectively). Depth scarcely affected the species distribution, probably due to water transparency, thermal homogeneity, and nutrient mixing. The recorded species cannot be all assigned to the photophilic rocky habitat, since ubiquitous taxa, organisms of other habitats settled in micro-enclaves, and juveniles of not established species have been frequently recorded. The role of algal covering as larval collector from disparate habitats is confirmed, as also proved by the high occurrence of planktonic molluscs (14 species) in all the examined samples. The whole mollusc taxocoene, whose diversity is high with respect to other areas at comparable latitudes, showed a marked western footprint, in accordance with the known biogeographic peculiarities of the Messina Strait.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 9 (1): 025-034

    Salvatore Giacobbe & Walter Renda
    Mollusc diversity in Capo d'Armi (Central Mediterranea Sea) subtidal cliff: a first, tardy, report

    ABSTRACT
    First quantitative data on mollusc assemblages from the Capo d’Armi cliff, at the south entrance of the Strait of Messina, provided a baseline for monitoring changes in benthic biodiversity of a crucial Mediterranean area, whose depletion might already be advanced. A total of 133 benthic taxa have been recorded, and their distribution evaluated according to depth and seasonality. Bathymetric distribution showed scanty differences between the 4-6 meters and 12-16 meters depth levels, sharing all the 22 most abundant species. Season markedly affected species composition, since 42 taxa were exclusively recorded in spring and 35 in autumn, contrary to 56 shared taxa. The occurrence of some uncommon taxa has also been discussed. The benthic mollusc assemblages, although sampled in Ionian Sea, showed a clear western species composition, in accordance with literature placing east of the Strait the boundary line between western and eastern Mediterranean eco-regions. Opposite, occasional records of six mesopelagic species, which included the first record for this area of Atlanta helicinoidea, were linked to the local upwelling of Levantine Intermediate Waters.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 4 (3): 415-418

    Pasquale Micali, Walter Renda & Salvatore Ventimiglia
    New report of Aperiovula juanjosensii Pérez et Gómez, 1987 (Gastropoda Ovulidae) for the Sicilian coast

    ABSTRACT
    One living specimen of Aperiovula juanjosensii Pérez et Gómez, 1987 (Gastropoda Ovulidae) was found in the Strait of Messina (North-East Sicily), at Punta Faro at a depth of about 90 m. The specimen was found in the fishing rest, in a sample rich of Myriapora truncata (Pallas, 1776), but with presence of Paramuricea clavata (Risso, 1826) and Eunicella cavolinii (Esper, 1791). The gorgonian Villogorgia bebrycoides (Koch, 1887), indicated as host in literature, even if should be present in the area, has not been found. A. juanjosensii was described for the area of Canary Islands and Atlantic Marocco and, up to now, only shown for a location of the Italian coast, without additional data.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 3 (4): 571-582

    Maria Stella Colomba, Fabio Liberto, Agatino Reitano, Walter Renda, Giuseppe Pocaterra, Armando Gregorini & Ignazio Sparacio
    Molecular studies on the genus Medora H. et A. Adams, 1855 from Italy (Gastropoda Pulmonata Clausiliidae)

    ABSTRACT
    In Italy, the genus Medora H. et A. Adams, 1855 includes two species: M. italiana (Küster, 1847) and M. dalmatina (Rossmässler, 1835). In particular, populations ascribed to M. italiana were, and still are, the focus of several works aiming at better understanding the real taxonomic value of these entities and defining their presence on the Italian territory. In order to contribute to the improvement of the current knowledge on the organization of the genus at different taxonomic levels, several populations were investigated by analysing 16S rDNA, COI and ITS2 gene partial sequences. Phylogenetic reconstructions were obtained by the Maximum Likelihood algorithm. Although further studies are needed, preliminary data suggest that the genus Medora shows a much more complex and articulate differentiation than hypothesized so far.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 2 (4): 213-216

    Walter Renda, Marco Bodon & Gianbattista Nardi
    On the specific validity of Rupestrella jaeckeli Beckmann, 2002 (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Chondrinidae)

    ABSTRACT
    After studying the shells of a large population of Rupestrella jaeckeli Beckmann, 2002, located ESE of Agrigento (southern Sicily), near the type locality, a complete correspondence of characters with Rupestrella philippii (Cantraine, 1840) was observed; the latter has already been known to occur in central-eastern Sicily as well as other Mediterranean areas. Synonymy is therefore proposed between the two taxa: R. jaeckeli should be more properly considered a junior synonym of R. philippii.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 2 (1): 027-034

    Fabio Liberto, Walter Renda, Maria Stella Colomba, Salvatore Giglio & Ignazio Sparacio
    New records of Testacella scutulum Sowerby, 1821 (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Testacellidae) from Southern Italy and Sicily

    ABSTRACT
    In the present paper we report on Testacella scutulum recently recorded for a few regions of Southern Italy and Sicily. An updated distribution map, anatomical remarks and feeding behaviours of collected specimens are related in order to extend and improve general knowledge on these terrestrial molluscs.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 14 (4): 0637-0642

    Franck Boyer & Walter Renda
    Description of two new species of Prunum Herrmannsen, 1852 (Gastropoda Marginellidae) from Callao, Peru
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2023.14.4.637.642
    https://www.zoobank.org/938E4262-A9ED-4D98-85C7-D86B2247CB0F

    ABSTRACT
    Two new Marginellidae species are described from Callao, Peru, and placed into the genus Prunum Herrmannsen, 1852, as P. sigmoides n. sp. and P. lamellosum n. sp. The reliability of the locality attributed to these new species is discussed, and the two species are considered to come with high probability from Western South America, due to their original features not matching Prunum morphs known from the rest of the Panamic Province, Caribbean or West Africa.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 13 (4): 0823-0840

    Franck Boyer & Walter Renda
    About a collection of Anarithma species (Conoidea Mitromorphidae) from La Réunion, Mascarene Islands
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2022.13.4.823.840
    https://www.zoobank.org/References/8131ad97-a444-4799-aa1d-d593c38f9e61

    ABSTRACT
    Twelve mitromorphid species from La Réunion are tentatively attributed to the genus Anarithma Iredale, 1916, and revised on the ground of the Maurice Jay’s collection conserved in the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, and of additional data given by the website “vieoceane” devoted to the marine gastropods fauna from La Réunion. Nine previously described species are formally revised in the genus Anarithma: A. pamila (Duclos, 1848), A. lachryma (Reeve, 1845), A. maesi Drivas et Jay, 1986, A. metula (Hinds, 1843), A. melvilli Boyer, 2022, A. inornata (Hervier, 1900), A. fischeri (Hervier, 1900), A. cf. salisburyi (Cernohorsky, 1978), and A. kilburni Drivas et Jay, 1986. Two new species are described in the same genus: A. aurea n. sp. as sibling species of A. metula, and A. borbonica n. sp. as sibling species of A. pamila. The morph illustrated as Mitromorpha poppei Chino et Stahlschmidt in the website “vieoceane” is evidenced to belong to an undescribed species, and its allocation to Anarithma is made with reserve. Cases of possible hybridism and of possible uncomplete speciations are discussed.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 13 (2): 0443-0478 - MONOGRAPH

    Franck Boyer & Walter Renda
    Revision of Gibberula philippii (Monterosato, 1878) in a populational approach (Gastropoda Cystiscidae)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2022.13.2.443.478

    ABSTRACT
    The species Gibberula philippii (Monterosato, 1878) (Gastropoda Cystiscidae) is revised and one lectotype and six paralectotypes are appointed from a lot of Palermo belonging to the Monterosato Collection in the Civic Museum of Roma. Palermo is defined as the type locality of the species. The phenetic variability of G. philippii (shell morphology and animal chromatism) is displayed and commented through numerous specimens from various localities of the Mediterranean Sea and a sample from the Ibero-Moroccan Gulf (Casablanca). Gibberula cristinae with this populational approach is synonymous with G. philippii. In the present state, no sibling species is detected within the Mediterranean G. philippii group of forms and G. philippii is considered as a polymorphic species. The alleged complex of sibling species of G. philippii described recently from the Canarian Archipelago is discussed as a comparative case. The populational approach and the extensive study of the phenetic variability is argued to offer high benefits by itself in malacology studies and to contribute highly to the efficiency of integrative taxonomy.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 13 (1): 0155-0162

    Italo Nofroni, Walter Renda, Franco Agamennone & Salvatore Giacobbe
    Dasyskenea dibellai n. sp. from the Central Mediterranean Sea (Gastropoda Vetigastropoda Skeneidae)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2022.13.1.155.162
    https://www.zoobank.org/References/e1f8d52c-734f-4f66-aae6-722b9f48efa4

    ABSTRACT
    Dasyskenea dibellai n. sp. from the central Mediterranean Sea, collected off Marsala, Western Sicily, 133 m depth, in the Muddy Detritus Biocoenosis, is here described. The new species, characterized by small size, an almost planorbid profile and an evident transverse sculpture prevailing over the longitudinal one, is compared with the Skeneidae with such characteristics both from the Mediterranean Sea and the adjacent Atlantic Ocean. Due to the characteristics of the protoconch and the morphological affinity, the new species is assigned to the genus Dasyskenea Fasulo et Cretella, 2003 together with Skeneoides digeronimoi La Perna, 1998 and the two North-East Atlantic related species, Skenea nilarum Engl, 1996 and S. victori Segers, Swinnen et De Prins, 2009. In the context of comparisons, Skenea costulata Sbrana et Siragusa, 2018 is considered probable synonymous with Skenea divae Carrozza et van Aartsen, 2001.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 13 (1): 0001-0002
    Walter Renda
    The genus Chilostoma Fitzinger, 1833 (Gastropoda Helicidae Ariantinae)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2022.13.1.I.II
  • Biodiversity Journal, 12 (4): 0841-0846

    Italo Nofroni & Walter Renda
    Reestablishment of the name Skeneoides formosissima (Brugnone, 1873) instead of S. jeffreysii (Monterosato, 1872) nomen nudum (Gastropoda Vetigastropoda Skeneidae)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2021.12.4.841.846

    ASBTRACT
    On the basis of bibliographical researches, it is demonstrated that Circulus jeffreysii Monterosato, 1872 (Gastropoda Vetigastropoda Skeneidae W. Clark, 1851) is a nomen nudum, and not a replacement name for Delphinula costata Danilo, 1856. The first validly described name is Circulus formosissimus Brugnone, 1873, therefore, in the light of the current systematic, the current name of the uncommun Sicilian species is Skeneoides formosissima (Brugnone, 1873). Some remarks are included on the differentiation between Skeneoides formosissima and S. exilissima (Philippi, 1844).

  • Biodiversity Journal, 12 (1): 0235-0244

    Franck Boyer & Walter Renda
    Revision of Gibberula lucia Jousseaume, 1877 and report of an allopatric sibling form (Gastropoda Cystiscidae)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2021.12.1.235.244

    ABSTRACT
    Gibberula lucia Jousseaume, 1877 (Gastropoda Cystiscidae) is revised, and the best conserved among the three MNHN syntypes is selected as lectotype. The typical form of G. lucia shows an original shell decoration made of continuous wavy axial lines. The distribution of this form seems to be restricted to the northwestern group and to the southern group of the Cape Verde Archipelago. A population showing interrupted axial lines is reported from Boa Vista and it looks as being perfectly similar to populations ranging off the Cap Vert Peninsula (Senegal) and off Fuerteventura (Eastern Canary Archipelago). Due to uncomplete documentation, the precise taxonomic status of this distinctive phena cannot be stated, at present, but despite its fragmented distribution, the concerned populations are united under the provisional term of G. cf. lucia, in the wait of further data.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 11 (2): 399-404

    Walter Renda, Danilo Scuderi & Salvatore Giacobbe
    First record from the Italian coasts of the overlooked chiton Acanthochitona pilosa (Mollusca Polyplacophora Acanthochitonidae)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2020.11.2.399.404

    ABSTRACT
    Within a general overview of the malacological samples deposited in the collection of the Benthic Ecology Laboratory of Messina, numerous specimens of the recently described Acanthochitona pilosa Schmidt-Petersen, Schwabe et Haszprunar, 2015 (Mollusca Polyplacophora Acanthochitonidae) were found. The new material, together with further specimens of private collections and literature data allowed a better definition of the A. pilosa distributional pattern and some autoecological and biogeographic considerations.