Chris's Mollusc List 2011 (1 Viewer)

After the spell of feezing weather early on this year, and the high tides last week I thought I'd have a look for washed up shells along the tideline. As no-one else seems to "do" molluscs I thought I'd stick my UK year list here.

January 26, Hilbre Island / West Kirby Shore ( Marine Molluscs )

Gastropoda ( Pulmonata )

1 Patella vulgaris ( Common Limpet )
2 Littorina littorea ( Common Periwinkle )
3 L. obtusata ( Flat Periwinkle )
3 L. mariae ( Flat Periwinkle )
4 L. saxatilis ( s.l )
5 Peringia ulvae ( Laver Spire Shell )
6 Hydrobia acuta
7 H. ventrosa
8 Potamopyrgus antipodarum ( Jenkin's Spire Shell )
9 Assiminea grayiana ( 1st for West Kirby shore / saltmarsh )
10 Turritella communis ( Auger Shell )
11 Crepidula fornicata ( American Slipper Limpet )
12 Polinices polianus ( Alder's Necklace Shell )
13 P. cateneus ( Common / Spotted Necklace Shell )
14 Nucella lapillus ( Common Dog Whelk )
15 Neptunea antiqua ( Red Whelk )
16 Buccinium undatum ( Common Whelk )
17 Mysotella myosotis

Bivalva

18 Mytilus edulis ( Common Mussel )
19 Ostrea edulis ( Flat / Native Oyster )
20 Aequipecten opercularis ( Queen Scallop )
21 Cerastoderma edule ( Common Cockle )
22 C. glaucum ( Lagoon Cockle )
23 Parvicardium scabrum ( Least Cockle )
24 P. exiguum ( Little Cockle )
25 Timoclea ovata ( Oval Venus )
26 Chamalea gallina ( Striped Venus )
27 Dosinia lupinus ( Smooth Artemis )
28 Tapes decussatus ( Chequered Carpet Shell )
29 Venerupsis senegalensis ( Pullet Carpet Shell )
30 V. saxatilis
31 Mya arenaria ( Sand Gaper )
32 Donax vittatus ( Banded Wedge Shell )
33 Angulis tenax ( Thin Tellin )
34 Macoma balthica ( Baltic Tellin )
35 Scrobicularia plana ( Peppery Furrow Shell )
36 Pharus legumen
37 Solen marginata ( Grooved Razor Shell )
38 Ensis ensis ( Common Razor Shell )
39 E. siliqua ( Pod Razor Shell )
40 Barnea candida ( White Piddock )
41 Zirfaea crispata ( Oval Piddock )

West Kirby Dunes

Non-marine Molluscs

Gastropoda ( Pulmonata )

42 Cernu aspersum ( Garden Snail )

Chris

January 27 North Wirral Dunes

Gastropoda ( Pulmonata )

Non-marine Molluscs

43 Carynchium tridentatum
44 Pupilla muscorum
45 Candidula intersecta
46 Cernuella virgata
47 Cepaea nemoralis

North Wirral foreshore

Bivalva

48 Mactra stultorum ( Rayed Trough Shell )

Chris

February 18 West Kirby Dunes

Gastropoda ( Pulmonata )

Non-marine Molluscs

49 Carynchium minimum
50 Discus rotundatus
51 Trochilus striolatus (Srawberry Snail)
52 Oxychilus navarricus helveticus

As the tide came right in and there were no birds on the beach I had a quick look for molluscs in the dunes.

Chris

February 27 Anglesey

I spent the day around Anglesey, in areas of both soft and hard substrates, mainly looking for Sea Slugs.

Polyplacophora ( Chitons )

53 Leptochiton asellus
54 Leptochitona cinereus
55 Tonicella rubra
56 Acanthochitona crinitus

Gastropoda ( Pulmonata )
Prosobranchia

57 Emarginula fissura ( Slit Limpet )
58 Diodora greaca ( Keyhole Limpet )
59 Tectura virginea ( White Tortoiseshell Limpet )
60 Helicon pellucidum ( Blue-rayed Limpet )
61 Margarites helicunus
62 Gibbula cinerea ( Grey Top Shell )
63 G. umbilicalis ( Flat Top Shell )
64 Monodonta lineata ( Thick Top Shell )
65 Lacuna vincta ( Banded Chink Shell )
66 L. pallidula ( Pallid Chink Shell )
67 Littorina neritoides ( Small Periwinkle )
68 Obtusella intersecta
69 Rissoa parva
70 R. lilacina ( s.l. )
71 R. rufilabrum
72 Coriandria fulgida
73 Bittium reticulatum ( Needle Whelk )
74 Apporhais serresianus ( Serre's Pelicans-foot )
75 Calyptraea chinensis ( Chinaman's Hat )
76 Lamellaria perspicua
77 Trivia arctica ( Northern / Arctic Cowrie )
78 Polinices montagui ( Montagu's Necklace Shell )
79 Epitonium clathrus ( Common Wentletrap )
80 Colus gracilis ( May have been a semi-fossil shell from before the last Ice Age )
81 Hinia reticulata ( Netted Dog Whelk )
82 H. incrassata ( Thick-lipped Dog Whelk )

Opisthobranchia ( Sea Slugs )

83 Acteon tournatilis ( Shell only )
84 Partidula spiralis
85 Aplysia puntata ( Sea Hare )
86 Elysia viridis
87 Limapontia senestra
88 Doto coronata
89 D. fragilis ( s.l. )
90 D. pinnatifida
91 Acanthodoris pilosa
92 Onchidoris bilamellata
93 Rostranga rubra
94 Archidoris pseudoargus ( Sea Lemon )
95 Aeolidia papillosa ( Large Grey Sea Slug )
96 Eubranchus farrani ( 2 seperate forms )
97 Coryphella pedata

Bivalva

98 Glycymeris glycymeris ( Dog Cockle )
99 Modiolarca tumida ( Marbled Crenella )
100 Pecten maxima ( Great Scallop )
101 Corbula gibba ( Basket Shell )

Cephalapoda

102 Sepiola atlantica ( Little Cuttlefish )

Not a bad "haul" even though I'm still studying some of the Sea Slugs and might find other species when I dissect them.

Chris

March 09 Stapledon Woods, Caldy, Wirral

Non-marine

103 Columella aspersa
104 Lauria cylindrica
105 Aegopinella pura
106 Oxychilus alliarius

The Dungeon, Thurstaston, Wirral

107 Merdigera ( Ena ) obscura

Chris

March 23 Sefton coast, Merseyside

I had a day along the Sefton coast both scanning the shoreline, doing a bit of sea-watching, checking out areas for Natterjacks, Sand Lizards Gentianella and Dune Tiger Beetles for later on in the year and just generally looking around. There were huge numbers of Ensis siliqua, E. arcutus, Mactra stultorum and Pharus legumen washed up on the tideline but I did manage the following new for the year.

108 Loripes lucinalis
109 Mysia undata ( personal first for the north-west )
110 Phaxas pellucidus

Chris

March 31 Garden, West Kirby

111 Deroceras reticulatum

As I was walking down my front path this morning I came across my first slug of the year. There are probably a lot more around as we've had a couple of wet nights.

Chris

May 15, Hoylake Langfields, Wirral

112 Arion ater ( seg. )
113 A. ( Kabeltia ) distinctus
114 A. ( K. ) hortensis
115 Deroceras laeve
116 D. panormitanum
117 Tandonia budapestensis


After the last week of showers / rain the ground was fairly damp and friable so there were plenty of slugs about. I finally got round to taking them out of my pocket, and IDing them late last night, after I'd shot off for the Broad-billed Sandpiper at Meols and 'behaved myself' over dinner with some friends ( i.e. not pulled out the slugs and started checking them out at the table ).

Chris

July 02 Garden, West Kirby

118 Succinea putris

Finally managed to get a new UK mollusc for the year. I was beginning to wonder

Chris

Interesting idea, and very impressed with your Opisthobranch day list. If you fancy an extra pair of eyes sometime, let me know - I found the first ever Welsh Doto eirana on Anglesey on a dive, and I've named two Asian Onchidiaceans.

August 12, Gilroy Nature Reserve, Wirral

119 Monacha cantiana

I was wandering around Gilroy after checking the Black-tailed Godwit numbers when I came across a single specimen of M. cantiana. This is a new record for this side of thev Hoylake Langfields as they have only been found in one small, rather circumscribed part before.

Chris

Are you doing a 2012 Mollusc list?