Integrated conservation approach for the Australian land snail genus Bothriembryon Pilsbry, 1894: Curation, taxonomy and palaeontology

Native land snails are important to ecosystems given their role in the decomposition process through herbivorous feeding of primarily decaying plant matter; calcium recycling and soil nitrification, and as a food source for larger predators. They also serve as a valuable bio-indicator group, especially in Western Australia where they are critical to Environmental Impact Assessments surveys. One conspicuous genus of native land snail found in Western Australia is Bothriembryon Pilsbry, 1894, a Gondwanan group endemic to the southern half of Australia and most diverse in the south-west of Western Australia. Eight species of Bothriembryon are listed as threatened at state and international level. Modern comprehensive reviews of land snails are needed to form good conservation policy however there are a number of knowledge gaps that are hindering the development of an effective conservation management plan for Bothriembryon. Most taxonomic studies on the genus have been based on shell morphology and the group requires modern molecular treatment to help clarify taxonomy. Additionally the group has been subjected to limited biogeographical and ecological studies, particularly those examining diet, predation and life span. In this study legacy data of the seven nominally threatened south-west Western Australia Bothriembryon species was collated from Australian museums and institutes. This data set was compared with new data gathered through curation of the WAM Bothriembryon collection and targeted fieldwork. Together this augmented data set was designed to improve conservation initiatives, specifically an updated assessment of these species International Union for Conservation of Nature status. Additionally, during curation of the WAM Bothriembryon collection, genetically useful material of all described species was earmarked for DNA extraction toward the first molecular phylogeny of the genus. This study addressed a major nomenclatural issue with the genus name Bothriembryon with case 3748 submitted to the ICZN to conserve the current genus usage. To promote nomenclatural stability, it was proposed that all type species fixations for the nominal genus Liparus Albers, 1850 and Bothriembryon Pilsbry, 1894 be set aside, and to designate Helix melo Quoy and Gaimard, 1832 as their type species. Many undescribed species of Bothriembryon are known, some likely requiring conservation management, but only one species has been named in the last 30 years (as of 2016). In this study Bothriembryon sophiarum was described, based on shell and anatomical morphology, the latter using 3D scanning for the first time in this group. Because of its limited distribution, B. sophiarum Whisson and Breure, 2016 qualifies as a short range endemic. Little published data on the fossil biogeography of Bothriembryon exists. In this study, fossil and modern data of Bothriembryon from Australian museums and institutes were mapped for the first time. The fossil Bothriembryon collection in the Western Australian Museum was curated to current taxonomy. Using this data set, the geological age of fossil and extant species was documented, and where material was available, shell sizes compared between fossil and modern populations. Twenty-two extant Bothriembryon species were identified in the fossil collection, with 15 of these species having a published fossil record for the first time. Several fossil and extant species had range extensions. The geological age span of Bothriembryon was determined as a minimum of Late Oligocene to recent, with extant endemic Western Australian Bothriembryon species determined as younger, traced to Pleistocene age. Extant Bothriembryon species from the Nullarbor region were older, dated Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene. Most extant Bothriembryon species have similar fossil and modern shell sizes, except for B. fuscus Thiele, 1930, B. notatus Iredale, 1939, B. sayi (Pfeiffer, 1847), B. perobesus Iredale, 1939 and B. indictus Iredale, 1939, which had generally more elongate shells during the Pleistocene. This study did not significantly expand the biogeography or geological age of the group but the data set provided insights into the origin and radiation of Bothriembryon, and will enable future phylogenetic dating. Collectively, data generated in this study will enable better conservation outcomes for Bothriembryon. This data will also contribute toward the first molecular phylogeny of Bothriembryon

Integrated taxonomy reveals new threatened freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Hyriidae: Westralunio ) from southwestern Australia

The freshwater mussel Westralunio carteri (Iredale, 1934) has long been considered the sole Westralunio species in Australia, limited to the Southwest and listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and under Australian legislation. Here, we used species delimitation models based on COI mtDNA sequences to confirm existence of three evolutionarily significant units (ESUs) within this taxon and conducted morphometric analyses to investigate whether shell shape differed significantly among these ESUs. “W. carteri” I was found to be significantly larger and more elongated than “W. carteri” II and “W. carteri” II + III combined, but not different from “W. carteri” III alone. We recognise and redescribe “W. carteri” I as Westralunio carteri (Iredale, 1934) from western coastal drainages and describe “W. carteri” II and “W. carteri” III as Westralunio inbisi sp. nov. from southern and lower southwestern drainages. Two subspecies are further delineated: “W. carteri” II is formally described as Westralunio inbisi inbisi subsp. nov. from southern coastal drainages, and “W. carteri” III as Westralunio inbisi meridiemus subsp. nov. from the southwestern corner. Because this study profoundly compresses the range of Westralunio carteri northward and introduces additional southern and southwestern taxa with restricted distributions, new threatened species nominations are necessary

Figure 2 from: Whisson C, Köhler F (2013) Gastrocopta (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Pupillidae) in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. ZooKeys 261: 15-39. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.261.4269

Figure 2 - Gastrocopta species: A Gastrocopta sp. CW1 (WAM S60408, Exmouth) B Gastrocopta hedleyi Pilsbry, 1917 (WAM S61117, Burrup Peninsula) C–E Gastrocopta larapinta (Tate, 1896) C WAM S58005, Kalgan Pool D–E WAM S60368, Roy Hill Station F Gastrocopta margaretae (Cox, 1868) (WAM S42834, Bateman Sanctuary); G Gastrocopta servilis (Gould, 1843) (WAM S60237, Karratha) H–J Gastrocopta mussoni Pilsbry, 1917 H Ovate Form (WAM S42865, Roy Hill Station) I Cylindrical Form (WAM S59375, Phils` Creek) J Cylindrical Form (WAM S61070), Roy Hill Station) . (Scale Bar = 1mm)

A new species of Bothriembryon (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Bothriembryontidae) from south-eastern Western Australia

Bothriembryon sophiarum sp. n. is described, based on shell and anatomical morphology, from the coastal area of south-easternmost Western Australia. This is the first description of a new extant Australian bothriembryontid in 33 years. The shell of B. sophiarum is slender with a unique teleoconch sculpture. It is found in low coastal scrub on cliff edges and escarpments and because of its restricted distribution, qualifies as a short range endemic

Annotated type catalogue of Bothriembryon (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Orthalicoidea) in Australian museums, with a compilation of types in other museums

Type material of 41 Australian Bothriembryon taxa present in Australian museums is critically listed, indicating systematic issues that need to be resolved in further studies. Information on additional type material of 22 taxa in non-Australian museums is compiled. The seven fossil taxa known so far are included in this catalogue. Based on the current systematic position, 38 species are treated in this paper. B. jacksoni Iredale, 1939, B. notatus Iredale, 1939, B. praecelsus Iredale, 1939 and B. serpentinus Iredale, 1939 are elevated to species level. B. gratwicki (Cox, 1899) is listed as status to be determined

A new species of Bothriembryon (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Bothriembryontidae) from south-eastern Western Australia

Volume: 581Start Page: 127End Page: 14

THE BENTHIC INVERTEBRATE FAUNA OF THE PEEL-HARVEY ESTUARY OF SOUTH WESTERN AUSTRALIA AFTER COMPLETION OF THE DAWESVILLE CHANNEL

Volume: 22Start Page: 81End Page: 9

DataSheet_1_Video surveys of sea snakes in the mesophotic zone shed light on trends in populations.docx

Declines in abundance of sea snakes have been observed on reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific, although the reasons are unknown. To date, surveys have occurred on shallow reefs, despite sea snakes occurring over a large depth range. It is not known if populations of sea snakes in deep habitats have undergone similar declines. To address this, we analysed deep-water video data from a historical hotspot of sea snake diversity, Ashmore Reef, in 2004, 2016, and 2021. We collected 288 hours of video using baited remote underwater videos and a remotely operated vehicle at depths between 13 and 112 m. We observed 80 individuals of seven species with Aipysurus laevis (n = 30), Hydrophis peronii (n = 8), and H. ocellatus (n = 6) being the most abundant. Five of the species (A. duboisii, A. apraefrontalis, H. ocellatus, H. kingii, and Emydocephalus orarius) had not been reported in shallow waters for a decade prior to our study. We found no evidence of a decline in sea snakes across years in deep-water surveys, although abundances were lower than those in early shallow-water surveys. A comparison of BRUVS data from 2004 and 2016 was consistent with the hypothesis that predation by sharks may have contributed to the loss of sea snakes in shallow habitats. Our study highlights the use of underwater video to collect information on sea snakes in the mesophotic zone and also suggests that future monitoring should include these depths in order to capture a more complete representation of habitats occupied.</p

Gastrocopta (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Pupillidae) in the Pilbara region of Western Australia

Six species of Gastrocopta have been identified from the Pilbara region, Western Australia, by means of comparative analyses of shell and mtDNA variation. Three of these species, G. hedleyi, G. larapinta and G. servilis, have been recorded in the Pilbara for the first time. Gastrocopta sp. CW1 is probably new to science and might be endemic to the region. By contrast, G. hedleyi, G. larapinta and G. mussoni are shown to be widespread