Redescription of Ve r t i g o (Vertigo) nitidula (Mousson, 1876) (Gastropoda: Vertiginidae) from the Caucasus region

Walther, Frank, Kijashko, Pavel V., Hausdorf, Bernhard (2014): Redescription of Ve r t i g o (Vertigo) nitidula (Mousson, 1876) (Gastropoda: Vertiginidae) from the Caucasus region. Zootaxa 3872 (1): 75-82, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3872.1.

Distribution maps of endemic Caspian Sea mollusks in hotspot and non-hotspot areas

The Caspian Sea is renowned for its endemic mollusk biodiversity. However, over the past decades, increasing anthropogenic pressures have caused decreases in abundances and even extinction of species. Both key pressures and endemic taxa are distributed spatially unevenly across the Caspian Sea, suggesting that ecologically different taxa such as gastropods and bivalves are also affected differentially. In addition, hotspot and non-hotspot areas for these taxa might differ quantitatively in pressure scores and qualitatively in key individual anthropogenic pressures. To test this working hypothesis, hotspot areas for endemic bivalve and gastropod species were identified using stacked species ranges. Cumulative and individual pressure scores were estimated for hotspot and non-hotspot areas of bivalves and gastropods. Differences in cumulative and individual pressure scores were tested for significance using non-parametric MANOVA and Wilcoxon rank sum tests, respectively. We identified various mollusk biodiversity hotspots across locations and depths, which are differentially affected both in terms of cumulative pressure scores and in the composition of the contributing individual pressures. Similarly, hotspot and non-hotspot areas for both bivalves and gastropods are differentially affected by anthropogenic pressures. By defining endemic hotspot areas and the respective anthropogenic pressures, this study provides an important baseline for mollusk-specific conservation strategies

Landmark configurations for gastropod shells of Abeskunus and Zagrabica

The dataset includes the (semi)landmark configurations for 41 specimens of the brackish-water gastropod genera Abeskunus and Zagrabica from Miocene to Holocene deposits of southeastern and eastern Europe/western Asia. The 83 points cover six landmarks (points 1, 2, 3, 4, 33, 34) and two semilandmark curves. The data were generated in the software tpsDIG v. 2.26. See linked paper for details about the specimens

Mollusc species from the Pontocaspian region – an expert opinion list

Defining and recording the loss of species diversity is a daunting task, especially if identities of species under threat are not fully resolved. An example is the Pontocaspian biota. The mostly endemic invertebrate faunas that evolved in the Black Sea – Caspian Sea – Aral Sea region and live under variable salinity conditions are undergoing strong change, yet within several groups species boundaries are not well established. Collection efforts in the past decade have failed to produce living material of various species groups whose taxonomic status is unclear. This lack of data precludes an integrated taxonomic assessment to clarify species identities and estimate species richness of Pontocaspian biota combining morphological, ecological, genetic, and distribution data. In this paper, we present an expert-working list of Pontocaspian and invasive mollusc species associated to Pontocaspian habitats. This list is based on published and unpublished data on morphology, ecology, anatomy, and molecular biology. It allows us to (1) document Pontocaspian mollusc species, (2) make species richness estimates, and (3) identify and discuss taxonomic uncertainties. The endemic Pontocaspian mollusc species richness is estimated between 55 and 99 species, but there are several groups that may harbour cryptic species. Even though the conservation status of most of the species is not assessed or data deficient, our observations point to deterioration for many of the Pontocaspian species