Numerous books and vast amounts of scientific literature on molluscs
and mollusc-related topics have been published in the past, covering a
broad spectrum of different aspects, such as taxonomy, morphology,
ecology and conservation biology, just to name a few. Despite the
wealth of specialized literature, this recently published book is the
first to combine an easy to understand introduction to molluscs,
molluscan anatomy and current sytematics combined with an extensive
glossary of malacological terminology.
In the first section, the author briefly explains the general bodyplan
of the phylum Mollusca, discusses its distribution and provides
interesting historical background information, before introducing each
of the eight classes of molluscs in more detail.
A set of schematic high-quality drawings give a simplified overview of
the bodyplan of each taxon. The drawings are printed in colour,
making comparisons of the internal morphology amongst different taxa
very easy, especially for all those who are new to molluscan anatomy
and want to know more about these highly diverse animals. The drawings
are followed by introductory paragraphs for each of the classes,
providing basic information on their eidonomy and anatomy as well as
some ecological background. The text is supplemented by drawings and
colour photographs of typical representatives of the respective taxa.
The most important and extensive part of the book is the comprehensive
glossary of malacological terms, giving it the style of a “pocket
dictionary of malacology”. A wide range of terms used in molluscan
morphology, development, physiology, ecology, taxonomy, behavior and
linked to their cultural significance is covered. A couple of
illustrations give the reader an impression how, for example, certain
morphological features of the shell or different types of molluscan
larvae look like. The dictionary section is not only useful when it
comes to find out the meaning of a certain technical term that has
turned up in scientific literature – it also piques the reader´s
curiosity and invites to thumb through and come across terms like
"toheroa", the Maori word for edible mesodesmatid bivalves, or
"dongo", West African money made from Achatina shells.
The author has included and linked old termini that are hardly used
anymore to their recent counterparts, which is especially helpful for
non-professionals, students and upcoming malacologists who start
working on old literature. The latter is, as the author emphasizes,
the basis for all kinds of current research, making it necessary to
prevent impending loss of knowledge on the terminology used in the
"classical disciplines" anatomy and eidonomy amongst young scientists.
In addition to malacological terms, names of numerous marine and
continental taxa down to generic level are included in the list, each
with a brief description. Both scientific and common names (if
available) are included in the glossary, and again linked to each
other. The book concludes with a couple of suggestions for further
reading supplemented by a few internet sources and journals. An
extensive appendix provides an overview of higher molluscan
systematics, including tables of families in the context of higher
taxonomic levels, separately for each class.
Malakozoologie – Weichtierkunde in Stichworten is well written and
gives a nice and concise introduction to molluscan morphology, not as
detailed as a zoology book (which was not the intention of the
author), but ideal for all those interested in molluscs and zoology,
amateur malacologists and biology students alike. The comprehensive
and well-made dictionary section is the central part of the book and
makes it a useful tool for working with malacological literature, as
it explains scientific terms in an easily understandable
way. Unfortunately the book is only available in German, which
prevents it from being used by a much broader audience. All in all I
can recommend the book — it contains a lot of helpful information, is
easy to use and available at a very modest price.
Jan Steger, University of Bremen
Journal of Conchology (2014) No. 6, page 783
