An Illustrated and Cross-Referenced Glossary of
Malacological and Conchological Terms

by Paul S. Mikkelsen

Look for:  
References

Publications:
Arnold, Wineford H. 1965. A glossary of a thousand-and-one terms used in conchology. Veliger 7(supplement):1-50.

Cate, Jean M., and Selma Raskin. 1986. It's Easy to Say Crepidula! (krehPIDuluh): a phonetic guide to pronunciation of the scientific names of sea shells and a glossary of terms frequently used in malacology. Santa Monica, CA: Pretty Penny Press; 153 pp.

Coan, Eugene V. and Paul Valentich Scott and Frank R. Bernard. 2008. Bivalve Seashells of Western North America. Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Monographs; Studies in Biodiversity: Number 2. [Reference not seen but an advertising flyer stated that it includes a "Complete Glossary"]

Cox, L.R. 1955. Observations on gastropod descriptive terminology. J. Moll. Stud. 31(5-6):190-202.

Cox, L.R. 1960. General characteristics of Gastropoda. Pp. 84-169, In: RC Moore (ed.), Treatise of Invertebrate Paleontology, Vol. I, Mollusca 1, Geol. Soc. Amer. and Kansas Univ. Press.; xxiii, 351 pp.

Evenhuis, Neal L. 2008. A Compendium of Zoological Type Nomenclature: a Reference Source. Bishop Museum Technical Report 41; ii + 23 pages. [also available here.]

Fernald, H.T. 1939. On Type Nomenclature. Annals Entomological Society of America 32:689-702.

Frizzell, Donald Leslie. 1933. Terminology of Types. American Midland Naturalist 14(6):637-668.

Hammer, Øyvind. 2000. A theory for the formation of commarginal ribs in mollusc shells by regulative oscillation. J. Moll. Stud. 66:383-392.

Röckel, D., W. Korn and A.J. Kohn. 1995. Manual of the Living Conidae, Vol. 1. Indo-Pacific Region. 517 pp.; Verlag Christa Hemmen: Wiesbaden, Germany.

Landman, Neil H. and Karl M. Waage. 1982 (Sep.) Terminology of Structures in Embryonic Shells of Mesozoic Ammonites. J. Paleontology 56(5):1293-1295.

Michelson, E.H. 1969. A Guide for the Identification of the Snail Intermediate Hosts of Schistosomiasis in the Americas by the PAN AMERICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATION ix + 122 pages, illustrated, paperbound. Pan American Sanitary Bureau, Regional Office of the World Health Organization, 525 Twenty-third Street N. W., Washington, D. C. 20037. 1968. [Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 18(6), 1969, pp. 1066 - The Guide also contains a glossary of malacological terms.]

Van der Schalie, H. 1936. Transposed hinge teeth of North American naiades. Nautilus 49(3):79-84.

Ward, J. Evan. 2003. Honored Life Member, Melbourne Romaine Carriker. - This page credits Mel Carriker with coining such terms as the “accessory boring organ” (ABO) of muricids, and the “pediveliger” stage of bivalve molluscs.


Web Pages:

Conchological Society of of Great Britain & Ireland - Separate glossaries of Bivalve Terms and Gastropod Terms; composite illustrations.

Cephalopod Glossary - Richard E. Young, Michael Vecchione, and Katharina M. Mangold.
Pearl Terminology

Glossary of Pearl Terms - by Paula M. Mikkelsen

Glossary of Pearl Terms - by Pearl-Guide.com

Glossary of Technical Terms - by Costellos.com

Internet Hawaiian Shell News, August 2000, pg. 13-17.

Terms used to differentiate between professional and amateur collectors/malacologists.

Let's Talk Seashells:

  • Tricky terminology, prosocline and opisthocline

  • Bivalve terminology, Anatomy of bivalves

  • Terminology - Discussion of "Types", And, terms in species names & data slips

  • Peter's Seashells - by Peter Egerton

  • Morphology

  • Morphology - Bivalve Shell Characteristics - Quiz

  • Morphology - Gastropod Shell Characteristics - Quiz

  • Examples of Seashell Characteristics

  • Survey protocol for aquatic mollusk species from the northwest forest plan - 1997; by Joseph Furnish, Roger Monthey and John Applegarth.

    See the molluscan glossary

    Taiwan Malacofauna Database - How to measure shell characters

    University of Washington's "nature mapping" molluscan glossary


    Copyright ©Paul S. Mikkelsen, All Rights Reserved Return to Home Page  |  Return to Top Over 1700 Terms in the Glossary!