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Biodiversity Journal 2016, Monograph: 059-115

  • Biodiversity Journal, 7 (1): 059-066 - MONOGRAPH

    Carlo Smriglio, Paolo Mariottini & Salvatore Giacobbe
    Jujubinus errinae n. sp. (Gastropoda Trochidae) from the Strait of Messina, Mediterranean Sea

    ABSTRACT
    A new species of the gastropod family Trochidae, Jujubinus errinae n. sp., from the Mediterranean Sea is described based on shell characters. The new taxon was compared with the most closely related species showing marked sculpture and from relatively deep water habitat, J. catenatus Ardovini, 2006, J. montagui (Wood, 1828) and J. tumidulus (Aradas, 1846). The species, which is known from the type locality only, the Strait of Messina, might be strictly associated to the endemic hydrocoral Errina aspera (Linnaeus, 1767) beds (Hydrozoa Stylasteridae).

  • Biodiversity Journal, 7 (1): 067-078 - MONOGRAPH

    Giulia Furfaro & Paolo Mariottini
    Check-list of the Nudibranchs (Mollusca, Gastropoda) from the biodiversityhot spot “Scoglio del Corallo” (Argentario promontory, Tuscany)

    ABSTRACT
    The Mediterranean nudibranch (Mollusca Gastropoda) fauna is part of complex communities belonging to the Mediterranean endemic “Coralligenous”. This important ecosystem shows a high species richness and functional diversity with assemblages of species tied together by major trophic and ecological relationships. A first check-list for the biodiversity hot spot “Scoglio del Corallo”, located along the coast of the Argentario promontory (Tuscany, Tyrrhenian Sea) is here reported.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 7 (1): 079-088 - MONOGRAPH

    Marco Passamonti
    Barycypraea teulerei (Cazenavette, 1845) (Gastropoda Cypraeidae): a successful species or an evolutionary dead-end?

    ABSTRACT
    Barycypraea teulerei (Cazenavette, 1845) (Gastropoda Cypraeidae) is an unusual cowrie species, showing remarkable adaptations to an uncommon environment. It lives intertidally on flat sand/mud salt marshes, in a limited range, in Oman. On Masirah Island, humans probably drove it to extinction because of shell collecting. A new population, with a limited range, has recently been discovered, and this article describes observations I made on site in 2014. Evolution shaped this species into a rather specialized and successful life, but has also put it at risk. Barycypraea teulerei is well adapted to survive in its habitat, but at the same time is easily visible and accessible to humans, and this puts it at high risk of extinction. Evolution is indeed a blind watchmaker that ‘has no vision, no foresight, no sight at all’. And B. teulerei was just plain unlucky to encounter our species on its journey on our planet.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 7 (1): 089-092 - MONOGRAPH

    Bruno Fumanti & Italo Nofroni
    Contribution to the knowledge of the molluscan thanatocoenosis of Zannone Island (Pontine Archipelago, Latium, Italy). Additional reports

    ABSTRACT
    In this second paper concerning the molluscan fauna of Zannone Island (Pontine Archipelago, Italy) one sediment sample collected by scuba diving at a depth of 36.5 meters at SW of the isle was investigated. Altogether, 47 taxa, not yet reported for Zannone, were identified, bringing the total number of the molluscan thanatocoenosis of the island at 327 taxa.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 7 (1): 093-102 - MONOGRAPH

    Alessandro Hallgass & Angelo Vannozzi
    Terrestrial gastropods (Mollusca Gastropoda) from Lepini Mountains (Latium, Italy): a first contribution

    ABSTRACT
    Lepini Mountains are a calcareous massif that forms the southern pre-Apennines of Latium (Italy), reaching a maximum altitude of 1536 m. Notwithstanding their central position and the low height reached, the malacofauna of Lepini Mountains has been long neglected and species composition was never reported so far. In this contribution, a preliminary investigation of the terrestrial gastropods (Mollusca Gastropoda) occurring in the Lepini Mountains is reported. At least 43 species are recorded. Several species already reported from Central Apennines occur. The most remarkable findings include a hitherto unrecorded population of Medora sp. (Clausiliidae) and the occurrence of two distinct forms ascribable to Jaminia quadridens s.l.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 7 (1): 103-115 - MONOGRAPH

    Francesco Pusateri, Riccardo Giannuzzi-Savelli & Stefano Bartolini
    A revision of the Mediterranean Raphitomidae, 3: on the Raphitoma pupoides (Monterosato, 1884) complex, with the description of a new species (Mollusca Gastropoda)

    ABSTRACT
    In the present work we present a complex of species of the family Raphitomidae (Mollusca Gastropoda) comprising three entities: two have multispiral protoconchs, Raphitoma pupoides (Monterosato, 1884), the less known R. radula (Monterosato, 1884) and a new species with paucispiral protoconch.