Molluscs
The collection comprises around seven million specimens and is one of the world’s largest mollusc collections. With over 9,000 type specimens, it serves as a key research resource for taxonomy, evolution and biodiversity.
Overview
With around seven million specimens, the Mollusca sub-collection is one of the most extensive mollusc collections in the world. It comprises wet, dry and micro-preparations from all mollusc groups known today and is estimated to contain around half of all mollusc species described worldwide.
Of particular significance is the high proportion of type material, comprising 9,125 type specimens. The sub-collection covers the entire systematic range of Mollusca, including:
- Gastropoda (snails)
- Bivalvia (clams)
- Cephalopoda (squids and octopuses)
- Aplacophora (worms)
- Monoplacophora (cup-and-saucer molluscs)
- Polyplacophora (beetle snails)
- Scaphopoda (scaphopods)
The sub-collection is supplemented by significant fossil holdings, including ammonites as index fossils of Earth’s history, as well as a collection of artistically crafted molluscs. This includes, amongst other things, historical material made from byssus (mussel silk).
The sub-collection also comprises extensive archival and library holdings, including the digitised finding aid for the German Deep-Sea Expedition Valdivia and a specialist library containing around 1,500 books, 30 journal titles and 10,500 offprints.
Access
The collections are organised by type of specimen and systematically catalogued.
More than half of the approximately 260,000 recorded collection items have now been digitised. Historical catalogues and electronic records are gradually being transferred to a central collection database, which will eventually be made available online.
The sub-collection is open to researchers for academic work, particularly for taxonomic, morphological and evolutionary biological studies. Support and coordination are provided by the collection management team.
History
The systematic development of the sub-collection is largely attributable to Karl Eduard von Martens (1831–1904), who continuously expanded it from the 1850s onwards. By the late 1930s, the main catalogue already contained around 100,000 entries.
The holdings grew through the work of several generations of curators, as well as through significant bequests from private collectors, including Wilhelm Dunker (1809–1885), Friedrich Paetel (1818–1892), Karl August Möbius (1825–1908) and others. Significant parts of the collection originate from major research expeditions, in particular the German Deep-Sea Expedition Valdivia (1898–1899) and the German South Polar Expedition (1899–1901).
A standout specimen in the sub-collection is the holotype of Vampyroteuthis infernalis, which was recovered during the Valdivia Expedition. It remains of great significance to cephalopod evolutionary research to this day.
Research
The Mollusca sub-collection forms a key research infrastructure for taxonomy, systematics, evolutionary and biodiversity research. For more than 150 years, it has served as the basis for morphological studies and revision-based work.
A current geographical research focus is on freshwater molluscs of South-East and East Asia, particularly from Indonesia (Sulawesi) and China. Research is conducted through international collaborations and includes the supervision of Master’s and PhD students as well as visiting researchers from the region.
Thanks to the integration of historical collections with newly collected material, molecular genetic analyses are increasingly available. An extensive DNA and tissue collection comprising over 15,000 samples is housed in the museum’s biobank. Findings from taxonomic research are increasingly being incorporated into Red List assessments as well as collaborations with international partners and NGOs.