5th European Congress Abstract Book

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	5th Congress of the European Malacological Societies
	Abstract Book
	Oral communications
	Poster sessions

	Keynote speaker: David G. Reid

	Islands: engines or endpoints of marine speciation?
	David G. Reid
	Department of Zoology, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, United Kingdom.

	Islands have long been recognized as natural laboratories for the study of patterns of colonization and radiation of terrestrial organisms, but their significance in marine speciation is disputed. The wide dispersal and large ranges of many marine molluscs have led to an emphasis on vicariance as the major process driving speciation. However, as species-level phylogenies accumulate it is becoming clear that many island groups harbour endemic ‘evolutionarily significant units’. In the context of island biogeography, the classical division into vicariant and founder speciation modes is artificial, since these are extremes of a continuum. The predominant mode depends on a complex suite of factors that include life history, currents, and arrangement and isolation of island habitats, and all may change over time. As a result there are predictable differences of scale in patterns of geographical diversification, from island endemics to cosmopolitan species. An extreme example of small-scale differentiation within an archipelago is the radiation of direct-developing Conus in the Cape Verde Islands. In the Pacific, limpets and turbinids with short-lived pelagic larvae show differentiation between archipelagos, whereas littorinids and cypraeids with planktotrophic larvae differentiate only on the most isolated islands. Peripheral island endemics have been variously interpreted as evolutionarily short-lived, as ancient relicts, and as an important source of new taxa that ultimately become widespread (the ‘diversity pump’ hypothesis in the Pacific Ocean). These ideas can now be tested with molecular phylogenetic data. However, geographical patterns must be interpreted cautiously. Habitats, nutrient regimes and geology of islands differ from those on continental coasts, so that some apparent cases of founder speciation may be more correctly interpreted as ecological speciation. Some clades of littorinids, for example, are found only on continental margins and others on oceanic (including island) shores.
	Key words: founder speciation, vicariance, dispersal, ecological speciation


	Oral Communication: Martine Claremont

	The Rapaninae and Ergalataxinae: a new phylogenetic arrangement (Neogastropoda: Muricidae)
	Martine Claremont, David Reid & Suzanne Williams
	Imperial College London & Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom


	The evolutionary relationships within the Muricidae, a large family of carnivorous marine snails, are the subject of much current interest. Previous phylogenetic hypotheses for one muricid subfamily, the Rapaninae, were based on morphological characters. These studies concluded that the subfamily is distinct from the Ocenebrinae and that some ‘ergalataxine’ muricids are contained within the Rapaninae. We tested these hypotheses using DNA sequence data (both mitochondrial and nuclear), for more than 50 species of Rapaninae, concentrating on Indo-West Pacific species. Unlike previous morphological studies, our molecular study supports the monophyly of both Rapaninae and Ergalataxinae. The Rapaninae may be further divided into two distinct sub-clades. The probable polyphyly of Thais (Rapaninae) and Morula (Ergalataxinae) is investigated, and possible biogeographic and dietary patterns are discussed.
	Key words: Muricidae Evolutionary Biology, Phylogeny, Molecular Systematics

	Oral Communication: Bernhard Lieb

	Hemocyanins of Caudofoveata: New aspects on the phylogeny and evolution of basal mollusks
	Bernhard Lieb & Christiane Todt
	University of Mainz, Müllerweg 6, 55099 Mainz, Germany

	The basal groups of mollusks are believed to encompass three major clades: Solenogastres, Caudofoveata, and Polyplacophora. The phylogenetic relationship between those clades is still a matter of debate and until now could not be resolved by analyzing commonly used molecular data, e.g. 18S, 28S or H3 sequences. Therefore, we started to investigate this enigma by using hemocyanin sequence data. Since it was not known whether solenogasters and caudofoveates express hemocyanin at all, we collected a number of species of both groups from the Norwegian fjord region and performed hemocyanin expression studies by RT-PCR, a priori. The results showed that only Caudofoveata express the blue copper-containing respiratory protein hemocyanin. Thus, hemocyanin is not applicable to study relationships between the two clades of aplacophoran mollusks but rather is one more character that separates them. Within the Caudofoveata, however, we were able to clone and obtain hemocyanin sequence data from three representatives of caudofoveates to perform some initial molecular-phylogenetic analyses: (i) the resulting trees reconstructed by Bayesian inferences and by maximum likelihood analyses showed a close relationship to other basal or ancient groups, such as Polyplacophora and Nautilus pompilius (Cephalopoda), (ii) the intra-caudofoveate phylogenetic relationships of taxa investigated are highly supported by bootstrapping analyses and also by posterior probabilities, and (iii) additionally, we could calculate and improve a molecular clock based on hemocyanin data providing evidence for the first emergence of Caudofoveata in a historical perspective, especially important considering the complete lack of fossil record for these shell-less mollusks.
	Key words: hemocyanin, evolution, mollusks

	Oral Communication: Sajmir Beqiraj

	Status of knowledge and conservation of marine malacofauna of Albania.
	Sajmir Beqiraj
	Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, Albania

	Marine malacofauna of Albania is poorly known. Most of the very few existing and relatively old publications are lists of species with data gathered by sporadic shell collections at the coast or bycatch from the fishing nets. During last 10 – 12 years the data about marine malacofauna of Albania is increasing, with information on taxonomic, ecological, biogeographic and conservation aspects, gathered mostly within the framework of several projects on inventory and monitoring of marine benthos in general and malacofauna in particular. About 250 species of marine mollusks have been reported for Albania so far, which is a very small number compared to the species number reported for the Adriatic coast, for instance. Most of data belong to gastropods and bivalves, and very few to cephalopods and scaphopods, while for the other classes the information is lacking. Implementation of some projects of environmental and conservation character have enabled an assessment of the general ecological and conservation status of many mollusk populations at the Albanian part of the Adriatic and Ionian seas. In the Red Book of the Albanian Fauna (published in 2006) 26 species of marine mollusks were described, which belong to the higher threatened categories (CR, EN, VU – after IUCN) and other 104 species were only listed, which belong to lower threatened categories. Endangerment of marine mollusks in Albania is mostly linked to the water pollution and damages of the coastal habitats, related mainly to uncontrolled urbanization and tourism development. Proposals for improving the conservation status of marine mollusks in Albania are also given in this paper, based on national strategies and action plans dealing with protection of marine environment and biodiversity.
	Key words: marine molluscs, Albania, Adriatic Sea, Ionian Sea, mollusk's conservation

	Oral Communication: Sérgio Ávila

	Patterns of diversity of the Rissoidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean region
	Sérgio P. Ávila (1,2,3), Patrícia Madeira (1,3), Jeroen Goud (4), Isabel Sanmartín (5), Fabrizio Cecca (6) & António M. de Frias Martins (1,3,7)
	(1) Departamento de Biologia, Universidade dos Açores, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal; (2) Centro do IMAR da Universidade dos Açores 9901-862 Horta, Azores, Portugal; (3) MPB – Marine PalaeoBiogeography Working Group of the University of the Azores, Rua da Mãe de Deus, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal; (4) National Museum of Natural History, Invertebrates, Naturalis Darwinweg, Leiden, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands; (5) Department of Biodiversity and Conservation, Real Jardin Botanico-CSIC, Plaza de Murillo 2, 28014 Madrid, Spain; (6) Université "Pierre et Marie Curie" - Paris VI, CNRS-UMR 5143 "Paléobiodiversité et Paléoenvironnements", Tour 56-46, 5ème étage, case 104, 4, place Jussieu, F-75252 Paris Cedex 05, France; (7) CIBIO Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos - Pólo Açores, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade dos Açores, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, Azores.

	The geographical distribution of the Rissoidae in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea was compiled trough an exhaustive search of the primary literature and is up to date until July 2006 (Ávila, 2005). All species were classified according to their mode of larval development (planktotrophic and non-planktotrophic), and bathymetrical zonation (shallow species - those living between the intertidal and 50 m depth, and deep species - those usually living below 50 m depth. Four hundred and seventy two species of Rissoidae are presently reported to the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, belonging to 29 genera. The Mediterranean Sea is the most diverse site, followed by Canary Islands, Caribbean, Portugal and Cape Verde. The lowest diversity sites are the Carolinian Province, Greenland, Arctic, Angola, New Scotia Biogeographical Province, Virginian Biogeographical Province, Tristan da Cunha Island, Antarctic, and Brazil. The Mediterranean and Cape Verde Islands are the sites with higher number of endemic species, with predominance of Alvania spp. in the first site, and of Schwartziella at Cape Verde. In spite of the large number of rissoids at Madeira archipelago, a large number of species are shared with Canaries, Selvagens and the Azores, thus only about 8% are endemic to the Madeira archipelago. Most of the 472-rissoid species that live in the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean are shallow species (305). One hundred and ten are considered as deep species, living in waters with more than 50 m depth and 23 species are reported in both shallow and deep waters. There is a predominance of non-planktotrophs in islands and at high and medium latitudes. This pattern is particularly evident in the genera Crisilla, Manzonia, Onoba, Schwartziella and Setia. Planktotrophic species are more abundant in the eastern Atlantic and in the Mediterranean Sea. The historical relationships between the selected areas were also studied (Ávila, 2000a, 2005). The results of the analysis of the probable directions of faunal flows support the patterns found by both the Parsimony Analysis of Endemicity and the geographical distribution. Four main source areas for rissoids occur: one is the Mediterranean, the second is the Caribbean, the third is the Canaries/Madeira archipelagos and the fourth is the Cape Verde archipelago. We must stress the high percentage of endemics that occur in the isolated islands of Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha and at Cape Verde archipelago (more than 85% of endemics), and also at the Azores (48.7%) (Ávila, 2000b) thus reinforcing the legislative protective actions that the local governments have implemented in these islands during the recent years.
	Ávila, S. P., 2000a. Shallow-water marine molluscs of the Azores: biogeographical relationships. Arquipélago.Life and Marine Sciences. Supplement 2 (Part A): 99-131. Ávila, S. P., 2000b. The shallow-water Rissoidae (Mollusca, Gastropoda) of the Azores and some aspects of their ecology. Iberus, 18(2): 51-76. Ávila, S. P., 2005. Processos e Padrões de Dispersão e Colonização nos Rissoidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) dos Açores, x+329 pp. PhD Thesis, Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada
	Key words: Rissoidae, Atlantic, Mediterranean, oceanic islands, evolution, biogeography.

	Oral Communication: Magdalena Szarowska & Andrzej Falniowski

	There is no philosopher’s stone: coup de grace for the morphology-based systematics in the rissooidean gastropods?
	Magdalena Szarowska & Andrzej Falniowski
	Malacology Department, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, Ingardena 6, 30-060 Kraków, Poland

	The minute, world-wide distributed, rissooid gastropods (Caenogastropoda: Rissooidea) have simple shells that are poor in systematics-useful characters. There were numerous efforts to find other characters, from soft-part anatomy to histology and shell ultrastructure (Falniowski & Szarowska 1995, Wilke et al. 2001, Szarowska 2006). No character, however, was found to be free of homoplasies. Results of recent molecular studies (Wilke et al. 2001) have raised doubts as to the reliability of morphology-based phylogeny inference. Szarowska (2006) checked morphological characters in Balkan rissooidean gastropods. Character mapping on the molecularly based tree showed that there was no one morphological character phylogeny might be safely based on. Besides of numerous parallelisms as well as reversals, there is an evident pattern of evolution in several complex structures, each of which comprise a set of characters in classical understanding. This changes (reversibly) all the structure, thus all the character set. It seems that all the character states were gained early in the phylogeny and later lost or regained. This seems to confirm the supreme importance of regulatory genes in macroevolution. This also questions the concept of uniquely derived characters, and raises doubts concerning traditional cladistic coding of characters and their states. Morphology can also be misleading in species distinction: it is not only that rissooid species may be morphologically indiscernible, but also (e.g. Bythinella) that depending on locality two species may be morphologically distinct or not.
	References: Falniowski A., Szarowska M. 1995. Can poorly understood new characters support a poorly understood phylogeny? Shell-structure data in Hydrobiid systematics (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Prosobranchia: Hydrobiidae). J. Zool. Syst. Evol. Res. 33: 133-144. Wilke T., Davis G. M., Falniowski A., Giusti F., Bodon M., Szarowska M. 2001. Molecular systematics of Hydrobiidae (Gastropoda: Rissooidea): testing monophyly and phylogenetic relationships. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 151: 1-21. Szarowska M. 2006. Molecular phylogeny, systematics and morphological character evolution in the Balkan Rissooidea (Caenogastropoda). Folia Malacologica 14: 99-168.
	Key words: Rissooidea, phylogeny, systematics, character evolution

	Oral Communication: Angela Dinapoli

	Comparative analysis of 18S rRNA secondary structures of Heterobranchia (Mollusca, Gastropoda): phylogenetic signal and structural variability
	Angela Dinapoli, Alexander Weigand & Annette Klussmann-Kolb
	Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity – Phylogeny and Systematics, J. W. Goethe-University, Siesmayerstrasse 70, 60054 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

	Ribosomal genes are still essential marker systems in molecular phylogeny and usually the information on the primary structure are used for phylogenetic reconstruction. Unfortunately rRNAs are often difficult to align as a result of plesiomorphic characters but secondary structure information could provide assistance when compiling the alignment. The process of reconstructing secondary structures has traditionally been largely manual, though an increasing number of algorithmic approaches exist. Here we use a new computer based method called RNAsalsa for a simultaneous alignment of ribosomal RNA sequences and their corresponding structures. The result is a complete individual secondary structure for each sequence and for further phylogenetic analysis, a sequence alignment with a consensus structure, which can be used as an input for suitable programs like PHASE where evolutionary models specific to the stem and loop regions of structural RNA molecules are implemented. Gastropods are the largest and most diverse class of the phylum Mollusca and exhibit the highest diversity in morphology. However, phylogenetic relationships of gastropods have been controversial, and there are many gastropodan subgroups whose systematic positions are still ambiguous, e. g. several groups within the Heterobranchia. Hence, in the present study we performed a comprehensive compilation of the complete 18S rRNA secondary structures of representatives of most of the Heterobranchia families. We estimate how secondary structure information and features other than primary sequence can contribute to improve phylogenetic reconstructions and contain phylogenetically informative data to resolve crucial deep evolutionary nodes.
	Key words: Gastropoda, Heterobranchia, phylogeny, secondary structure

	Oral Communication: Mandë Holford

	Evolution of the Toxoglossa Venom Apparatus as Inferred by Molecular Phylogeny of the Terebridae
	Mandë Holford(1), Nicolas Puillandre(2), Maria Vittoria Modica(3), Yves Terryn(4), Baldomero Olivera(1), Corinne Cruaud(5) & Philippe Bouchet(2)
	(1) University of Utah, Biology Department, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA; (2) Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), Departement Systematique et Evolution, UMR 7138, Systématique, Adaptation, Evolution, 55 rue Buffon, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France; (3) Dipartimento di Biologia Animale e dell'Uomo,Viale dell'Universita' 32, I-00185 Roma Italy; (4) NaturalArt, Kapiteinstraat 27, B-9000 Gent, Belgium; (5) GENOSCOPE, Centre National de Séquençage, 2 rue Gaston Crémieux, CP 5706, 91057 Evry Cedex, France

	Toxoglossate gastropods (conids, terebrids, and turrids) are one of the most successful animal groups that use venom to capture their prey. These marine animals are generally characterized by a venom apparatus made up of a muscular venom bulb and venom gland. The toxoglossan radula, often compared to a hypodermeric needle for its use as a conduit to inject toxins into prey, is considered a major anatomical breakthrough that assisted in the successful initial radiation of these animals in the Cretaceous and early Tertiary. The pharmacological success of toxins from cone snails has made this group a star among biochemists and neuroscientists, but very little is known about toxins from terebrids and other Toxoglossa, and the phylogeny of these families is largely in doubt. Here we report the very first molecular phylogeny for the Terebridae and use the results to infer the evolution of the venom apparatus for this group. Our findings indicate that most of the genera of terebrids are polyphyletic, and one species, ("Terebra" jungi) is the sister group to all other terebrids. Molecular analyses combined with mapping of the venom apparatus indicates the Terebridae have lost the venom apparatus at least twice during their evolution. Species in the genera Terebra and Hastula have the typical venom apparatus found in most toxoglossate gastropods, but all other terebrid species do not. For venomous organisms, the dual analysis of molecular phylogeny and toxin function is an instructive combination for unraveling the larger questions of phylogeny and speciation. The results presented here suggest a paradigm shift in the current understanding of terebrid evolution, while presenting a roadmap for discovering novel terebrid toxins, a largely unexplored resource for biomedical research and potential therapeutic drug development.
	Key words:Toxoglossa, Terebridae, Toxins, Venom Ducts, Venomous marine snails

	Oral Communication: Débora Borges

	Review on the proximal (ecological) and evolutionary (adaptive) questions and controversies of the sex change in the Mollusca
	Débora Borges
	Department: Biology, University of Aveiro; Travessa Álvaro de Castelões, 66, 1º; 4200-048 Porto, Portugal

	Sex change is a widespread phenomenon that has been the subject of several theoretical, ecological and empirical evolutionary research projects. There is evidence of sex change in most groups of invertebrates indicating independent lines of evolution and in molluscs it has been reported among gastropods and bivalves being more common among prosobranchs. Sequential hermaphroditism can either be in the form of protandry (individuals develop first as males and change sex latter in life to females) or protogyny (individuals develop first as females and change sex latter in life to males). In 1969, Ghiselin proposed three models to explain the origin of different types of hermaphroditism: the low density, model; the size advantage model (SAM); and the gene dispersal model. He found evidence to his proposed models in several taxa, and suggested that protandry in molluscs would occur in line with the size advantage model, knowledge that is still valid today. One of the major contributions of Ghiselin’s models was the approach to the role of sequential hermaphroditism in the benefits that might accrue to the individual rather than to the population. Others authors as Warner (1975, 1988), Iwasa (1991) and Charnov (1982) made valuable contributions to those general models postulating variables as the reproductive value (as being the expected future reproductive success) and taking into account differential effects of growth and mortality. Charnov in 1993, proposed fundamental similarities –“life history invariants “– as the major explanatory ingredient of life history evolution. This approach has been stimulated by analyses that suggest that these dimensionless ratios can be the same for different species, within and even across taxa (Nee et al., 2005). Nevertheless due mathematical constrains in the calculations involved most of them have been proved to be flawed. Recently, Collin tested some predictions about variation in size at sex change, in the light of the SAM and its latter improvements. Using 19 species of the calyptraeids, a family of protandrous marine gastropods that includes Crepidula, the author tested the following predictions: (a) sex ratio is biased toward the first sex; (b) the ratio of the size at sex change to the maximum size is a life-history invariant; and (c) species that form variable sized groups or stacks have more variation in size at sex change than species that show less variation in stack formation. Her results are be presented here and integrated with previous experimental work done in the past in the mollusca, particularly in the calyptraeid and patellid family.
	Key words: Sex change, protandry, size advantage model, calyptraeid, patellid

	Oral Communication: Manuel António Malaquias

	*Systematics and speciation of Haminoea* gastropods (Opisthobranchia: Cephalaspidea) in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific oceans**
	Manuel António E. Malaquias
	Department of Zoology and Antropology, National Museum of Natural History, Lisbon, Portugal

	Haminoea are a tropical and temperate worldwide genus of shallow-water cephalaspidean gastropods leaving in coastal lagoons, estuaries, rocky shores, and coral reefs, usually associated with seagrass or algae. The systematics of the genus is still largely based on shells, which are all very similar both in colour and shape, rendering a very confusing taxonomy. Forty-seven species have been named in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific oceans (20 in the Eastern Atlantic, 15 in the Western Atlantic, and 12 in the Eastern Pacific). Nonetheless, recent faunistic inventories and taxonomic works combining shells and anatomical characters recognized no more then eight and three species in the Eastern and Western Atlantic, respectively. In this work an integrative taxonomic approach combining shells, anatomy, morphology, SEM analysis, ecology, and molecular phylogenetic hypotheses, is followed to revise the systematics of the group. A preliminary Bayesian molecular phylogeny combined with the geographical distribution of species and a relaxed molecular clock methodology are used to infer historical biogeography and speciation within the group.
	This research received support from the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), Portuguese Government through the postdoctoral grant SFRH/BPD/26209/2006 and from SYNTHESYS Project http://www.synthesys.info/ which is financed by European Community Research Infrastructure Action under the FP6 "Structuring the European Research Area" Programme.

	Oral Communication: Alexandre Lobo-da-Cunha

	The salivary glands in herbivorous and carnivorous cephalaspidean opisthobranchs
	Alexandre Lobo-da-Cunha (1,2), Elsa Oliveira (1), Rita Coelho (3) & Gonçalo Calado (3,4)
	(1) Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Porto University, Portugal; (2) Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIMAR), Porto, Portugal; (3) Portuguese Institute of Malacology, Albufeira, Portugal; (4) Lusophone University of Humanities and Technologies, Lisbon and Institute for Marine Research (IMAR), FCT/UNL, Caparica, Portugal

	Cephalaspideans comprise carnivorous and herbivorous species allowing an investigation of the relationship between these diets and the morphofunctional features of the salivary glands, within this group of opisthobranchs. The herbivorous Bulla striata and the carnivorous Aglaja tricolorata and Philinopsis depicta were included in this study. All specimens were captured on the south coast of Portugal and their salivary glands were processed for transmission electron microscopy. In B. striata and P. depicta these glands are ribbon-shaped, being much longer in the former species. In A. tricolorata the salivary glands are leaf-shaped, but short as in P. depicta. In all three species, the glands contain epithelial ciliated cells and non-ciliated secretory cells. In A. tricolorata the ciliated cells form large apical blebs, but apocrine secretion was not so evident in the ciliated cells of P. depicta. In B. striata, apocrine secretion was not reported in the salivary glands, but was observed in the ciliated epithelial cells of the most anterior zone of the oesophagus. In A. tricolorata, three types of non-ciliated secretory cells were found. Cells of type one contain large amounts of flattened cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER), many Golgi stacks with spots of electron-dense material, small vesicles with peripheral electron-dense material, and one or more large vacuoles completely or partially filled with electron-dense material. Cells of type two are characterized by secretory vesicles that initially have a low electron-density and subsequently become denser, but frequently with a lighter central zone. Cells of type three are also rich in flattened RER cisternae and possess large amounts of secretory vesicles. Many of these vesicles present a lighter peripheral zone with thin filaments and a core with distinctive patches of electron-dense material, nevertheless the peripheral zone is absent in some cases. In P. depicta, secretory cells are similar to cell types one and two of A. tricolorata. In B. striata salivary glands two types of mucous cells are present. One cell type containing secretory vesicles with oval electron-dense granular masses attached to the vesicle membrane, surrounded by electron-lucent material, and a second cell type with large electron-lucent vesicles. Thus, the available data point to a considerable difference between the salivary glands of carnivorous and herbivorous cephalaspideans.
	Key words: Opisthobranchia, Cephalaspidea, ultrastructure, digestive system, secretory cells.

	Oral Communication: Helena Gaspar

	Chemical Studies on Opisthobranchs from the Portuguese Coast
	Helena Gaspar(1), Adele Cutignano(2), Margherita Gavagnini(2), Gonçalo Calado(3), Ernesto Mollo(2), Angelo Fontana(2) & Guido Cimino(2)
	(1) Instituto National de Engenharia, Tecnologia e Inovação (INETI), Est. Paço do Lumiar, Ef. F, 1649-038 Lisboa, Portugal; (2) Istituto di Chimica Biomolecolare (ICB) - CNR, via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078 Pozzuoli (Napoli), Italy; (3) Centrode Modelação Ecológica-IMAR, FCT/UNL; Qta. da Torre; 2825-114 Monte da Caparica, Portugal

	Despite the extensive continuous research in the field of marine natural products, little is known about the chemistry of marine Opisthobranchs inhabiting the Portuguese coasts. Opisthobranchs are marine molluscs with shell either reduced or completely absent. Chemical studies on these molluscs have accumulated evidence that they are protected by chemical metabolites, which are obtained by bioaccumulation, by biotransformation of dietary compounds or, in few cases, by de novo biosynthesis (Cimino et al., 2001). Chemical studies on species of the Orders Cephalaspidea and Nudibranchia collected in different sites off the Portuguese Coast (Ria de Aveiro, Berlengas Islands, Setúbal and Algarvian Coast) will be here discussed. In particular, Portuguese populations of cephalaspidea species Haminoea orbignyana and Bulla striata showed the same metabolic patterns previously found in Mediterranean populations, confirming the de novo origin of their chemicals (Spinella et al., 1993, Cimino et al., 1987). From species belonging to Nudibranchia order, i.e. Dendrodoris grandiflora, Doriopsilla pelseneeri and Hypselodoris fontandraui, have been isolated several furanosesquiterpenes exhibiting molecular skeletons related to sponge metabolites: for the first time, 15-acetoxy-pallescensin-A was detected in D. grandiflora; H. fontandraui showed to contain a major dietary sponge metabolite, tavacpallescensin (1), whereas D. pelseneeri is characterized by a mixture of several sesquiterpenes (Gaspar et al., 2005), including four new compounds (2-5), biosynthesized de novo. The ability of this mollusc to produce through the mevalonate pathway 15-ent-acetoxy-pallescensin-A (6) and drimane esters (7) was proven by feeding experiments with [1-13C]-glucose. These experiments together with the occurrence of monocyclofarnesyl metabolites, bring further details on the biogenetic pathway operating in these marine invertebrates.

	References: Cimino, G., M.L. Ciavatta, A. Fontana, & M. Gavagnin, 2001 in Bioactive Natural Products: Isolation, Structure Elucidation and Biological Properties, C. Tringali, Ed., Taylor and Francis, London, 2001, 577-637 Spinella, A., L. Alvarez, A. Passeggio & G. Cimino, 1993. Tetrahedron, 49, 6, 1307-1314 Cimino, G., G. Sodano, A. Spinella, 1987. J.Org Chem, 52, 26-5331 Gaspar, H., M. Gavagnin, G. Calado, F. Castelluccio, E. Mollo & G. Cimino, 2005. Tetrahedron, 61, 11032–11037.
	keywords: Cephalaspidea, Nudibranchia

	Oral Communication: Thomas Kunze

	What is a really Skeneid? - The Microanatomy of Skenea serpuloides (Montagu, 1808) (Gastropoda, Vetigastropoda)
	Thomas Kunze, Martin Heß & Gerhard Haszprunar
	Biozentrum, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany

	For a long period the family Skeneidae has been known as a probably polyphyletic microgastropod assemblage (“skeneimorphs”), being based on resemblance of the characters of radula (rhipidoglossate), shell (e.g. helicoids, lack of nacre) and outer soft-part morphology. Due to recent methodological progress such as plastic embedding, semi-thin sectioning combined with computer-aided 3D reconstructions allow us to figure out the complete anatomy and histology of the soft-parts and get so some new, useful characters. Skenea serpuloides, the type species of genus and family, is characterised as follows: papillate tentacles, a combined epipodial sense organ (ESO) situated on the base of a papillate epipodial tentacle, a single left ctenidium with bursicles and skeletal rods, two kidneys, monotocardian heart, a propodial penis, hermaphroditic reproduction system, big eggs with a thick vitelline layer, one pair of radula cartilage, a hypoathroid nerve ring, statocysts with several statoconia, and eyes (retinal cups). Based on this data set a much narrower view of a monophyletic family Skeneidae sensu stricto can be established. Papillate tentacles, presence of two kidneys, and statoconia clearly rest this family in the Vetigastropoda, the combined ESO suggests trochoid/turbinoid affinities. The propodial penis is considered as an autapomorphy for Skeneidae sensu stricto (including e.g. Skenea, Dikoleps, Lissospira). The complete morphological data set of the type species of genus and family marks a starting point to review the whole “skeneimorphs”, which currently include about 70 named genera.
	Key words: Skeneidae

	Oral Communication: Andrea Barco

	A molecular phylogeny of the Muricidae
	Andrea Barco & Marco Oliverio
	Rome University "La Sapienza", Animal and Human Biology Department. Viale dell'Università 32, 00185 Rome, Italy.

	The family Muricidae include ~1800 species distributed in all oceans. Current classifications are mainly based on morphology of shells and soft parts, which has been proven to be subject to extensive homoplasy. Recent works have showed that a molecular approach can be useful for this purpose. We used nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequnces data in a preliminary, reconsideration of the muricid phylogeny at the subfamily level. We can confirm monophyly of Ergalataxinae, Rapaninae and Ocenebrinae and discuss the limits of Muricinae and Muricopsinae. Trophoninae as currently conceived may not be monophyletic. Coralliophilinae are reconfirmed as Muricidae whereas relationships of species assigned to the Typhine cannot be definitively resolved.
	Key words: Muricidae, Molecular phylogeny

	Keynote speaker: Björn Berning

	The importance of bryozoans for our understanding of seamount and oceanic island biodiversity, biogeography and evolution
	Björn Berning
	Oberösterreichische Landesmuseen, Geowissenschaftliche Sammlungen, Welserstr. 20, 4060 Leonding, Austria

	In the intensified effort to study biodiversity and biogeographic patterns of seamount biota during the last decade, the phylum Bryozoa has almost completely been neglected. Yet bryozoans may form a major component of the sessile benthic community from the shallow subtidal down to bathyal depths, and their mode of (sexual) reproduction and dispersal is at one extreme end of the spectrum displayed by marine organisms. By far most bryozoans brood their larvae, which, upon release, spend mere minutes to hours in the water column before settlement. Dispersal per generation is therefore generally very short and long-distance transport only achieved by means of rafting of the adult colony. However, whereas rafting may readily account for the invasion of shallow waters around oceanic islands, the colonisation of deep seamounts is difficult to explain with this type of transport. While it is not feasible to draw unobjectionable conclusions concerning regional connectivity with the few available data at hand, some early 20th century records from the Azores and East Atlantic seamounts permit to put recent observations into a biogeographic context. For instance, the cheilostome bryozoan fauna from the Great Meteor Bank, which lies in oligotrophic waters, comprises 27 species. Only four of these are known from the East Atlantic shelf and another five are restricted to the Azores and other Atlantic seamounts. On the other hand, 17 species, three genera and two families are new to science, corroborating the expected high percentage of endemic taxa. Additionally, many species of established genera form distinct morphological clades that are not known from the eastern Atlantic continental shelf. Two species show affinities with the western Atlantic, one of which is a shallow-water, non-brooding bryozoan that is known to raft on Sargassum, while most other known taxa are related to bryozoans from the eastern Atlantic. Due to their short larval life, a better knowledge of the distribution of bryozoans from oceanic islands and seamounts will clearly enhance our understanding of the evolution of these offshore regions and may lead to the recognition of (palaeo-) biogeographic patterns and pathways at a fine scale. Particularly in regions with a high nutrient input bryozoan are expected to be represented by a great number of species and, owing to their often three-dimensional bioconstructions, may promote the overall biodiversity by increasing the habitat complexity.

	Oral Communication: Patrícia Madeira

	The MPB-Marine PalaeoBiogeography working group and the study of Santa Maria fossils: an updated overview
	Patrícia Madeira (1,3), Andreas Kroh (4) & Sérgio P. Ávila (1,2,3)
	(1) Departamento de Biologia, Universidade dos Açores, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal; (2) Centro do IMAR da Universidade dos Açores 9901-862 Horta, Azores, Portugal; (3) MPB – Marine PalaeoBiogeography Working Group of the University of the Azores, Rua da Mãe de Deus, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal; (4) Natural History Museum Vienna, Department of Geology and Palaeontology, Burgring 7, 1010 Vienna, Áustria;

	In the Azores, Santa Maria is the oldest island and the only one with a sedimentary cover in a nine island volcanic system. It has a rich fossil record, dated to the Late Miocene-Early Pliocene and to the Pleistocene. Palaeontological investigations on the island started in the late nineteen century and have increased significantly since the establishment of the MPB-Marine PalaeoBiogeography working group, an informal research team based at the University of the Azores. The Miocene-Pliocene outcrops, more numerous in the island, have been the main focus of attention of the scholars but, recently, however, the interest has shifted to the Pleistocene outcrops (Ávila et al., 2002, 2008a, 2008b, accepted, submitted). The checklists produced for Santa Maria’s fossiliferous outcrops, account for a large spectrum of represented animal groups. Workers have focused their attention on the molluscs, being the group best represented in the fossil record. Data on other animal groups (fossil whales, brachiopods) has been recently published (Estevens & Ávila, 2007; Kroh et al., 2008) or is still under study (fossil echinoderms, bryozoans, sharks and fishes). The annual scientific expeditions (“Palaeontology in Atlantic Islands”) promoted by the MPB to Santa Maria also increased our knowledge about the fossils of this island. Since the last historical account by Madeira et al. (2007) and as a result of this scientific effort, the publication record has significantly increased, most of the outcrops were legally protected (Cachão et al., 2003; Calado et al., 2007) and some were dated by the first time (Kirby et al., 2007; Ávila et al., 2008a) and new outcrops were discovered. Finally, the establishment of international cooperation by the MPB members, aided by financial support of the local government of the Azores, allowed a series of advanced courses and workshops at the University of the Azores, that in a near future will positively impact this (palaeo)biogeographic line of research in the Azores.
	References: Ávila, S.P., R. Amen, J.M.N. Azevedo, M. Cachão & F. García-Talavera, 2002. Checklist of the Pleistocene marine molluscs of Praínha and Lagoínhas (Santa Maria Island, Azores). Açoreana, 9(4): 343-370. Ávila, S.P., P. Madeira, N. Mendes, A. Rebelo, A. Medeiros, C. Gomes, F. García-Talavera, C. Marques Da Silva, M. Cachão, C. Hillaire-Marcel & A. M. De Frias Martins, 2008a. Mass extinctions in the Azores during the last glaciation: fact or myth? Journal of Biogeography, 35: 1123-1129. Ávila, S.P., P. Madeira, C. Marques Da Silva, M. Cachão, B. Landau, R. Quartau & A.M. De Frias Martins, 2008b. Local disappearance of bivalves in the Azores during the last glaciation. Journal of Quaternary Science (in press). doi.wiley.com/10.1002/jqs.1165. Ávila, S. P., P. Madeira, C. Zazo, A. Kroh, M. Kirby, C. M. Da Silva, M. Cachão & A. M. De Frias Martins. Palaeocology of the Pleistocene (MIS 5.5) outcrops of Lagoinhas and Prainha. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology (accepted). Ávila, S.P., C. Marques Da Silva, Ralf Schiebel, F. Cecca, Thierry Backeljau & A. M. De Frias Martins. How did they get here? Palaeobiogeography of the Pleistocene marine molluscs of the Azores. Bulletin of the Geological Society of France (submitted). Cachão,M., J. Madeira, C. Marques Da Silva, J. M. N. Azevedo, A. P. Cruz, C Garcia, F. Sousa, J. Melo, M. Aguiar, P. Silva, R Martins & S. P. Ávila, 2003. Pedreira do Campo (Santa Maria, Açores): monumento natural. Actas do VI Congresso Nacional de Geologia. Ciências da Terra (UNL), Lisboa, nº V: 120-123. Calado, H., S.P. Ávila & P. Madeira, 2007. The Coastal Zone Management Plan of Santa Maria as a chance for fossiliferous outcrops management. In: Ávila, S. P. & A. M. De Frias Martins(Eds.): Proceedings of the “1st Atlantic Islands Neogene”, International Congress, Ponta Delgada, 12-14 June 2006. Açoreana, Suplemento 5: 162-172. Estevens, M. & S.P. Ávila, 2007. Fossil Whales From The Azores. In Ávila, S.P. & A. M. De F. Martins, (Eds.), Proceedings of the “1st Atlantic Islands Neogene”, International Congress, Ponta Delgada, 12-14 June 2006. Açoreana, Suplemento 5: 140-161. Janssen, A. W., A. Kroh & S.P. Ávila, 2008. Early Pliocene heteropods and pteropods (Mollusca, Gastropoda) from Santa Maria (Azores, Portugal): systematics and biostratigraphic implications. Acta Geologica Polonica, 58: (in press). Kirby, M.X., D.S. Jones & S.P. Ávila, 2007. Neogene shallow-marine paleoenvironments and preliminary Strontium isotope chronostratigraphy of Santa Maria Island, Azores. In: Ávila, S. P. & A. M. De Frias Martins(Eds.): Proceedings of the “1st Atlantic Islands Neogene”, International Congress, Ponta Delgada, 12-14 June 2006. Açoreana, Suplemento 5: 112-125. Kroh, A., M.A. Bitner & S.P. Ávila, 2008. Brachiopods from the Early pliocene of the Azores (Portugal). Acta Geologica Polonica (in press). Madeira, P., A. Kroh, A.M. De Frias Martins & S.P. Ávila, 2007. The marine fossils from Santa Maria Island (Azores, Portugal): an historical overview. In: Ávila, S. P. & A. M. De Frias Martins(Eds.): Proceedings of the “1st Atlantic Islands Neogene”, International Congress, Ponta Delgada, 12-14 June 2006. Açoreana, Suplemento 5: 59-73.
	Acknowledgments: We thank the financial support of DRCT-Direcção Regional da Ciência e Tecnologia, Governo Regional dos Açores, and of the FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FACC) of the Portuguese government. We also thank Câmara Municipal de Vila do Porto, Direcção Regional dos Recursos Florestais (Serviços Florestais de Santa Maria), Secretaria Regional do Ambiente e do Mar, Departamento de Biologia da Universidade dos Açores, Centro do IMAR da Universidade dos Açores, and, especially, to Clube Naval de Santa Maria for field assistance (thanks Marco!).
	Key words: Azores, oceanic islands, fossils, palaeobiogeography.

	Oral Communication: Sérgio Ávila

	A biogeographical paradox and the palaeobigeographical importance of the Azorean Marine fossils
	Sérgio P. Ávila (1,2,3), Patrícia Madeira (1,3), Carlos Marques da Silva (4), Mário Cachão 4, Michael Kirby (5), Andreas Kroh (6), Fabrizio Cecca (7) & António M. de Frias Martins (1,3,8)
	(1) Departamento de Biologia, Universidade dos Açores, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal; (2) Centro do IMAR da Universidade dos Açores 9901-862 Horta, Azores, Portugal; (3) MPB – Marine PalaeoBiogeography Working Group of the University of the Azores, Rua da Mãe de Deus, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal; (4) Departamento e Centro de Geologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Bloco C6, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal; (5) Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Museum Road, P.O. Box 117800, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800, USA; (6) Natural History Museum Vienna, Department of Geology and Palaeontology, Burgring 7, 1010 Vienna, Áustria; (7) Université "Pierre et Marie Curie" - Paris VI, CNRS-UMR 5143 "Paléobiodiversité et Paléoenvironnements", Tour 56-46, 5ème étage, case 104, 4, place Jussieu, F-75252 Paris Cedex 05, France; (8) CIBIO Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos - Pólo Açores, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade dos Açores, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal.

	The Late-Miocene (about 8 to 10 My) and relatively isolated oceanic islands that form the Azores archipelago are located in the middle of the northern Atlantic, at least 1,500 km away from its nearest colonizing source. These natural conditions make these islands particularly suitable to study the processes and patterns of dispersal, colonization and speciation, and to test ecological, evolutionary and biogeographical theories. The shallow-water marine molluscs of the Azores have been intensively studied during the last years. Taxonomic and systematic papers, as well as ecological and populational studies were published since the last biogeographical account on this matter (Ávila, 2000, 2005). The strong Mediterranean component of the marine molluscs of the Azores, known since the paper of Mac Andrew (1854), was confirmed by that study and an interesting biogeographical paradox emerged: in the way of the Gulf Stream, originating off American shores, the Azorean biota, marine and terrestrial alike is predominantly European. To explain this distributional paradigm we studied the Neogene fossil record of Santa Maria, Azores in order to establish the Historical (late-Miocene early-Pliocene, as well as Pleistocene) and the Recent biogeographical relationships of the littoral molluscan fauna of this archipelago. Several hypotheses regarding the times of colonization of the islands, most probable dispersal routes, speciation events and the influence of glacial episodes are discussed.
	References: Ávila, S. P., 2000. Shallow-water marine molluscs of the Azores: biogeographical relationships. Arquipélago.Life and Marine Sciences. Supplement 2 (Part A): 99-131. Ávila, S. P., 2005. Processos e Padrões de Dispersão e Colonização nos Rissoidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) dos Açores, x+329 pp. PhD Thesis, Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada. Acknowledgments: S.P. Ávila was supported by grant SFRH/BPD/22913/2005 (FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia) of the Portuguese government.
	Key words: Azores, Atlantic, Mediterranean, oceanic islands, fossils, biogeography.

	Oral Communication: António Frias de Martins

	A gut feeling: what comparative anatomy of the endemic Oxychilus(Drouetia) tells about the age of São Miguel island, Azores
	António M. de Frias Martins
	CIBIO – Pólo Açores, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade dos Açores, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, São Miguel, Açores, Portugal

	The most obvious approach to assess the age of an island is through the application of geological methods that compare isotope proportions. However, since almost its very beginning, an island is populated by a succession of species which evolve there and may depict, in their evolutive history, the age and also the main events that shaped the geological history of that island. The geomorphology of São Miguel island has been thoroughly studied, and the present island is currently accepted to have resulted from the merging of two islands. Its oldest sector, Nordeste, was first thought to have appeared 4 My ago, but recent age determinations have shown the age of these oldest exposed parts of the island to be less than one million years old. Comparative anatomy of recent species does not yield geological age; however, the extent of intra-island morphological divergence in a particular species complex (clade), when compared with similar units in other islands of known ages, should provide grounds for comparison and assessment. The endemic land mollusc subgenus Drouetia is spread throughout the archipelago and clusters of species have been identified in various islands, their morphological divergence variously expressed according to the accepted age of the island they live in. In São Miguel, only one species has been recorded, Oxychilus (Drouetia) atlanticus (Morelet & Drouët, 1857), of which O. (D.) batalhana de Winter, 1989 has been considered a junior synonym. Extensive investigation throughout the island has revealed a swarm of species, consistent with the geomorphological succession of the island’s formation that indicates very recent merging of two former islands. Moreover, the morphological affinity of the populations/species throughout the island, when compared to that observed in older islands, appears to support the younger age assessment for São Miguel.

	Oral Communication: Xavier Jordana

	Ancient human skeletal remains from the Azores Islands. The value of the Bioarchaeology for reconstructing the lives of past people
	Xavier Jordana
	Centro de Investigação de Recursos Naturais (CIRN), Departamento de Biologia, Universidade dos Açores, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, Açores, Portugal

	Skeletal markers are frequently used to reconstruct the structure and the history of past human populations. Nevertheless, since they are influenced by genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors, their value for population genetics analyses is a matter of ongoing debate. We are currently evaluating the potential of different skeletal markers (craniofacial morphological variation, cranial discrete traits and tooth morphology) to estimate biodistances and admixture in ancient populations, using the Azores Islands (Portugal) populations as a model. The Azores archipelago was uninhabited when discovered by Portuguese navigators in the fifteenth century. The first settlers came mainly from Portugal; however people of other Europeans regions, individuals of Jewish origin and African and Moorish slaves also contributed to the peopling of the archipelago. The recent and complex process of peopling, the evolution of islands populations, always affected by migration, along with the reduced population size and geographic isolation, make this population very interesting from an evolutionary and anthropological point of view. In this work, preliminary analyses on recent skeletal samples from Iberian Peninsula (North Portugal, N=74; South Portugal, N=76; and Northeast Spain, N=28) and Azores islands (N=20) using both geometric morphometric methods and classical craniometry, as well as epigenetic traits, are performed. In agreement with both genetic and historical evidences our preliminary results show that the phenotypic variability of the Azores population differs from that observed in mainland Portuguese population, suggesting the influence of other populations in the establishment of the variability of the Azores.

	Oral Communication: Andrzej Kaim

	Non-actualistic associations of Middle Jurassic mollusks from sunken driftwood
	Andrzej Kaim
	Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Warszawa, Poland

	The invertebrate fauna thriving on logs of wood sunken in modern deep seas is considered as one of the types of so-called chemosymbiotic associations where basic food resource results from sulfur oxidizing microbial activity. The other types are those living around hydrothermal vents, hydrocarbon seeps and carcasses of great vertebrates (whales and Mesozoic marine reptiles), however, sunken wood communities are the most common and wide geographically distributed of them. Although Recent chemosynthesis-based communities are becoming much better understood in the recent years but the fossil record is explored to much lesser extent. The fossil analogues of the modern sunken driftwood communities are now traced back to Late Cretaceous. However, the crucial time for establishing this type community is the turn on Jurassic and Cretaceous. It is Early Cretaceous when the xylophagainin ship worms appear for the first time in the deep sea. These bivalves possess symbiotic bacteria decomposing cellulose of the wood producing ubiquity of fecal pellets rich in sulfur. The pellets are responsible for pollution of the sediment around the sunken wood becoming covered shortly by bacterial mats and inhabited by species characteristic of chemosynthetic communities. Recently discovered rich molluskan associations on Middle Jurassic sunken driftwood in Poland display different composition than those from Cretaceous onward. There are no ship worms borings in the wood and the set of mollusks is entirely different that the one from Recent examples. All three investigated associations are dominated by mass-occurring two groups of gastropods, maturifusids (considered commonly as ancestors of neogastropods) and Cosmocerithium (usually attributed to Eumetulidae). Otherwise both groups are very uncommon in the ambient strata. Other unusual gastropods noticed there include neritimorph Gnaszynium, zygopleurid Plocezyga, and undescribed yet fissurellids. The characteristic bivalves are juvenile oysters and a new species of Hiatella. Possible link between Jurassic and modern types of sunken driftwood communities lies in a rich occurrence of Leptochiton-like polyplacophorans, which are known also from modern sunken driftwood communities and possess wood decomposing symbiotic bacteria. It might be not only a coincidence that the emergence and radiation of modern type chemosymbiotic communities appeared after establishment of widely distributed modern type of sunken driftwood associations.
	Key words: chemosymbiotic communities, deep sea, evolution, sunken wood, gastropods, chitons, bivalves

	Oral Communication: Clément Poirier

	Spatial distribution of live and dead mollusc assemblages: implications for the fossil record
	Clément Poirier, Pierre-Guy Sauriau, Eric Chaumillon, Nicolas Lavesque & Gérard Biais
	LIENSs, Université La Rochelle, CNRS, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France.

	One of the major concerns for paleoecologists is estimating the reliability of the fossil record (Kidwell and Flessa, 1995). Among the many tools used to describe past environmental changes in coastal areas, molluscs are particularly helpful, as they provide detailed information about paleoenvironments (Gruet and Sauriau, 1994 ; Allard et al., 2007). In order to determine how accurately mollusc fossil assemblages reflect the composition and structure of their original live communities, many authors aimed at quantifying live-dead agreement (see Kidwell, 2007 for review). Although these studies were based on multiple sampling stations e.g. along transects, most of them did not fully investigate the spatial distribution of dead molluscs (Johnson, 1965 ; Henderson and Frey, 1986 ; Aller, 1995). In our study, live and dead molluscs were sampled in 96 stations with a regular grid spacing of 2 km within the Pertuis Charentais sea (French Atlantic Coast), which has a wide variety of environmental conditions. Both mollusc live and death assemblages were described with ecological methods derived from the study of live communities, together with geostatistical analysis tools. The effects of environmental gradients on the structure of mollusc assemblages were described, with a view to identify characteristic species and relate them to environmental variables. Livedead agreement was estimated and compared to previously published data. The potential of dead molluscs as specific markers of hydrodynamic conditions was tested. The influence of recently introduced species such as Crepidula fornicata on the “native” death assemblages was also investigated. Our results will provide new insights into the spatial variability of coastal paleoenvironments along the Atlantic coast.
	References: Allard et al., 2007. C. R. Geosc., 340(5), 306-314. Aller J.Y., 1995. Palaeogeogr., Palaeoclimatol., Palaeoecol., 118, 181-212. Gruet Y. & P.-G. Sauriau, 1994. Quatern., 5(2), 85-94. Henderson S.W. & Frey R.W., 1986. Palaios, 1, 3-16. Johnson R.G., 1965. J. Paleontol., 39, 80-85. Kidwell S.M. & K.W. Flessa, 1995. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst., 26, 269-299. Kidwell S.M., 2007. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 104(45), 17701-17706.
	Key words: spatial variability, death and live assemblages, paleoenvironments, Pertuis Charentais

	Oral Communication: Nina Therese Mikkelsen

	Where is the Chaetodermomorpha (=Caudofoveata) in the tree of life?
	Nina Therese Mikkelsen (1), Christoffer Schander (2), Christiane Todt (2) & Endre Willassen (1)
	(1) Bergen Museum, University of Bergen, P.O Box 7800, NO-5020 Bergen, Norway; (2)Department of Biology, University of Bergen, P.O Box 7800, NO-5020 Bergen, Norway

	The aplacophoran molluscs (Chaetodermomorpha and Neomeniomorpha) are generally considered basal among Mollusca, but their relative position to Polyplacophora and “higher” molluscs (i.e., Conchifera) is debated. It is paramount to unravel these relationships in order to understand the evolution of molluscs. The main objective of our present project is to construct a solid hypothesis for the phylogeny of Chaetodermomorpha (Caudofoveata). Thereby, both the placement of the taxon relative to other molluscs and the phylogenetic relationships within Chaetodermomorpha are investigated. The project also includes a worldwide revision of the genus Falcidens, which is believed to be polyphyletic. Morphological characters are complemented with molecular characters (18S, 28S, COI). Here, we present the first results of our project with special focus on the molecular analyses. Preliminary data support the monophyly of Caudofoveata but do not show a sistergroup relationship to Neomeniomorpha (Solenogastres).
	Key words: phylogeny, systematics, aplacophoran molluscs

	Oral Communication: Marta Pola

	Is self-fertilization possible in nudibranchs?
	Marta Pola
	Department of Invertebrate Zoology, California Academy of Sciences, 55 Concourse Dr, Golden Gate Park San Francisco, CA 94118, USA

	Nudibranchs (Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia) are internally fertilized simultaneous hermaphrodites with a complex reproductive system. Even though their reproductive systems vary greatly in organization, adults normally copulate reciprocally with the gonopores aligned so that the penis of one animal can deposit free sperm in the vagina of the other (Hadfield & Swizer-Dunlap, 1984). Studies about “sperm-trading” in simultaneous hermaphrodites, as well as about hermaphrodite mating conflicts in outcrossing opisthobranch species (Michiels, 1998; Anthes & Michiels, 2005; Anthes, Putz & Michiels, 2006a) are rapidly increasing. However, less work has been done with regard to self-fertilizing hermaphrodites. This report focuses on observations of the reproductive system of several nudibranch gastropods of the genus Nembrotha Bergh, 1877, where the penis of each specimen was found located inside its own vagina. The review of the literature shows no previous records of penises introduced into the own vagina from any other opisthobranch. We also observed that the penis of all Nembrotha species is very long, usually about 3 mm long in those specimens in which the penis is completely extended. The length of the penises in Nembrotha species is much longer than those of Roboastra and Tambja (500 μm – 1mm, unpublished data), which would permit certain plasticity. In order to obtain solid evidence of self-fertilization in nudibranchs, experiments using adults isolated, as veliger larvae are essential. However, while nudibranch life cycle studies remain scarce and further studies are done, it is important to present here evidence for at least the physical possibility of self-fertilization in this group. The length of the penis of these species could help to sustain such behavior.
	References: Hadfield, M.G. & M. Switzer-Dunlap, 1984. “Opisthobranch”. In: The Mollusca, 7: Reproduction. (A. Tompa, N.H. Verdonk & J.A. Biggelaar, eds), 209-350. New York. Academy Press. Michiels, N.K. 1998. Mating conflicts and sperm competition in simultaneous hermaphrodites. In: Sperm competition and sexual selection (T.R. Birkhead & A.P. Møller, eds), 219-54. San Diego: Academic Press. Anthes, N. & N.K. Michiels, 2005. Do “sperm trading” simultaneous hermaphrodites always trade sperm? Behavior Ecology, 16(1): 188-195. Anthes, N., Putz, A. & N.K. Michiels, 2006. Sex role preferences, gender conflict and sperm trading in simultaneous hermaphrodites: a new framework. Animal Behavior, 72(1): 1-12.
	Key words: Self-fertilization, Opisthobranch, nudibranchs

	Oral Communication: Mónica Albuquerque

	The Molluscan Fauna of Ormonde and Gettysburg Seamonts (Gorringe Bank, north-east Altantic): Taxonomy and Zoogeographical affinities
	Mónica Albuquerque
	Unidade de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Desenvolvimento; Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias; Av. do Campo Grande, 376; 1749 - 024 Lisboa; Portugal

	The Gorringe Bank is a large seamount located about 150 miles WSW off the Portuguese Coast. It arises from nearly 5,000m depth on the northern side to peaks of approximately 20-28m depth (Gettysburg peak), and 33-46 m depth (Ormonde peak). In the present work we assessed the molluscan fauna collected from Gettysburg (28 dives) and Ormond (8 dives) during an expedition (LusoExpedição) that took place in June 2006. Sample identification started on board and continued along the year that followed. Sixty six molluscan species were identified, 47 of them are new records for the Gorringe Bank, representing an increase of 100% in the number of the malacological species already described for these seamounts. The present work also discussed the biogeographical relationships of the molluscan Fauna of Gorringe Bank as compared to the surrounding areas.



	Oral Communication: Paolo Albano

	Biodiversity survey of the benthic communities of the Marine Protected Area “Secche di Tor Paterno”, Central Thyrrhenian Sea, by way of molluscs: preliminary results on the foliar stratus of Posidonia oceanica
	Paolo G. Albano & Bruno Sabelli
	University of Bologna, Department of Experimental Evolutionary Biology, Italy

	An intensive sampling effort has been conducted on the benthic biocoenosis of the Marine Protected Area “Secche di Tor Paterno”, Central Thyrrhenian Sea, which are offshore reefs (lower depth –18 metres). Patches of Posidonia oceanica have been sampled both at the rhizome and foliar layers. Coralligenous and detritic bottoms have been sampled as well. While the foliar stratus of Posidonia oceanica generally hosts rich communities in the Meditterranean Sea, in our study area it showed a remarkable poor assemblage of molluscs under both a qualitative and quantitative point of view. These findings are consistent with previous data on Posidonia oceanica held by other institutions which reported a general sofference of the plant in this environment. This sofference may be due to: - an unsuitable bottom, the reefs are mostly rocky and Posidonia grows in small sedimentary areas producing a pattern of patches and not a meadow; - low light, because of deep water (the sampled patches were at –25 metres) and the turbidity of the water because of the estuary of the Tevere river a few kilometers northwards. The foliar stratus mollusc assemblage, never sampled with this accuracy in the area before, works well as indicator of the Posidonia oceanica overall health.
	Key words: Posidonia oceanica, Mollusca, Mediterranean Sea

	Oral Communication: Lotfi Rabaoui

	*Growth of the fan shell Pinna nobilis* Linnaeus, 1758 in the north and east of Tunisian Coast**
	Lotfi Rabaoui, Sabiha Tlig-Zouari, Stelios Katsanevakis & Oum Kalthoum Ben Hassine
	Unité de Recherche de Biologie, Ecologie et Parasitologie des Organismes Aquatiques, Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, 2092 El Manar, Tunis, Tunisie.

	The variability in absolute and relative growth of Pinna nobilis along the Tunisian coastline was investigated. Five populations of P. nobilis were sampled, three from northern and two from eastern Tunisia. The specimens were aged and ten morphometric characters were measured on each individual. To test if differences existed in absolute and relative growth patterns among the different populations, an information theory approach was followed. For absolute growth, von Bertalanffy, Gompertz, the logistic and the power models were fitted in combination with three assumptions regarding inter-population differences in absolute growth patterns: no differences, differences among all five populations or just between northern and eastern populations. The assumption of common absolute growth parameters among all five populations had the greatest support by the data, whereas the assumption of different growth patterns among all five populations had no support. Von Bertalanffy growth model and the power model were both equally supported by the data (while Gompertz had considerably less support and the logistic model had no support), and thus it may not be definitely concluded whether P. nobilis grows asymptotically or not. The P. nobilis populations of the Tunisian coastline had a slow growth and up to an age of ~ 9 years their shells were smaller than from all other reported populations in the Mediterranean. For relative growth, apart from the classical allometric model aX^b, relating the size of a part of a body Y to another reference dimension X, more complicated models were used in combination with the three abovementioned assumptions regarding inter-population differences. Those models, of the form logY = f (logX), either assumed breakpoints in the relative growth trajectories or non-linearities. For most morphometric characters, the classical allometric model had no support by the data and more complicated models were necessary. In most cases, different relative growth either among all five populations or between the northern and eastern population groups was supported by the data. Further investigation is needed to relate the morphological differences observed among different populations of P. nobilis to environmental factors.
	Key words: Pinna nobilis, growth, Tunisia, information theory approach

	Oral Communication: Walid Belgacem

	*Spatiotemporal variations of Molluscs associated with Posidonia oceanica* meadow in Ras Jebel (North-East of Tunisia)**
	Walid Belgacem, Habib Langar & Oum Kalthoum Ben Hassine
	Unité de Recherche de Biologie, Ecologie et Parasitologie des Organismes Aquatiques, Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, 2092 El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia

	In the present study, specific composition variations of mollusc community associated with Ras Jebel Posidonia oceanica meadow were seasonally and spatially followed. Four seasonal sampling campaigns were carried out. Samples were taken in three stations S1, S2 and S3, located at 1.5, 3 and 5 m depths, respectively. A total of 44 mollusc species belonging to three classes (36 Gastropods, 7 Bivalves and 1 Polyplacophora) were collected. The estimated values of Shannon-Weaver (H’) and evenness (E) indices varied from one season to another. E was globally in favour of an equilibrated community. In order to follow the variability of malacofauna specific composition with both seasons and stations, correspondences factorial analysis (CFA) of both species and stations was carried out. The latter analysis showed two discriminated clusters (I and II). The first one (I) was isolated by the second axis and consisted of summer samples. The species which contributed to the discrimination of this group were Lunatia catena, Tricolia pullus, Alvanea lineata and Chauvetia minima. There were no significant variations in specific composition between stations, during this season. As for the second group (II), it was isolated by the first axis and was represented by the samples of the three other seasons. Spring samples were isolated within the negative part of axis 1, whereas winter and autumn ones appeared in the positive part of the same axis, with an overlapping of stations. Summarising, water depth does not seem to have an influence on species distribution because of the low differences obtained between the various study stations. In contrast, the temporal factor seems to play a determining role in discriminating between the samples taken during the different seasons.
	Key words: Molluscs, community, Posidonia oceanica, Ras Jebel, Tunisia

	Oral Communication: Marina Kuzmanic

	*Age, growth and condition index of Callista chione* in the eastern Adriatic Sea**
	Marina Kuzmanic, Daria Ezgeta, Melita Peharda & Igor Isajlovic
	Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Split, Croatia

	The smooth clam Callista chione (Linnaeus, 1758) is a shallow-burrowing filter feeding Venerid bivalve that inhabits sandy sediments. Although this is common and commercially valuable species there is still lack of information regarding its biology and ecology. The main objectives of this research were to obtain information of growth, age and condition index of Callista chione from the Kaštela bay. Samples were collected monthly from commercial catch in the period from July 2007 till May 2008 in the Kaštela bay. Shells were aged based on formation of growth rings on the external shell surface and on formation of internal growth bands. Gathered data were fitted to the von Bertalanffy growth function for height. Growth parameters (H∞ and k) were estimated using Gulland – Holt plot where growth rates were plotted against the mean height and relative growth function was constructed. Age and growth rate data showed that this is a long – living species with the most intensive growth during first year. Growth rate decreased with age and after 8 years growth rate is reduced to about 1mm per year. Based on two methods applied, modified Von Bertalanffy equations for height were constructed: Ht = 55.64 (1 – e –0.26 (t-to)) and Ht = 53.53 (1 – e –0.22 (t-to)). The estimated asymptotic shell lengths were 74.70 and 70.81 mm, respectively. Condition index showed seasonal oscillation with several small peaks.
	Key words: Callista chione, age, growth, condition inde