MALACOLOGY

The Malacology collection is worldwide in scope with an emphasis on marine snail and bivalve species from the eastern Pacific Ocean. This collection includes approximately 500,000 lots containing approximately 4.5 million specimens, making it one of the biggest collections of its kind in North America. Hundreds of specimens are acquired, collected, preserved, and curated into this collection annually,

Malacology is the study of mollusks, an invertebrate group with an estimated 100,000 species. These include the gastropods (marine, terrestrial, and freshwater snails and slugs), bivalves (freshwater and marine clams, oysters, cockles, and mussels), cephalopods (octopus, squids, cuttlefish, and Nautilus), polyplacophorans (chitons), scaphopods (tusk shells), aplacophorans (wormlike mollusks), and monoplacophorans (limpet-like species mostly from the deep sea).

Malacology is active in Museum programs, displaying extraordinary shells and remarkable specimens at museum and educational events multiple times per year.

Support the Malacology Department by making a donation to the Museum Fund today!