Malacology Collection
Approximately 75,000 marine and freshwater shell specimens. The term Malacology is the branch of Invertebrate Zoology that deals with mollusks, including mussels, clams, snails, limpets, and other related organisms.
Interested in visiting the collection, obtaining more information on our holdings, or making a loan request? Contact the Collections Manager of Invertebrate Zoology.
Marine Mollusks
Former Museum Associate John Heiser, with the help of volunteers Nancy Heiser, Nathan Heiser and Les Hileman, uncrated and assembled the Museum's malacology collection. Heiser focused mainly on the Museum's freshwater mussels. More recently, Dr. Pete Schrier, a retired chemist and mollusk aficionado, joined the Museum's team as a volunteer, and brought expertise in the identification and classification of shelled animals from the marine environment.
Marine mollusks, more commonly known as “sea shells” (includes gastropods and bivalves), are found living in all the oceans and seas of the world. These invertebrates comprise a large animal group (phylum) numbering well over 50,000 species, are found in many forms, sizes and colors. New species are being discovered almost on a daily basis.
Fossil shells have been found throughout the world with one of the most well-recognized being the Nautiloidea. These spectacular shells measure up to eight feet (2.5 m) in diameter and is represented in the modern fauna by the chambered nautilus (Nautilus pompilius).
Sea shells have played important roles in human development since early times in the areas of tools, art, jewelry, religion, and money. Economically, “Money Couriers” (Cypraea moneta) were primarily used, in Africa first, and eventually by Native Americans (as Wampum) in the early 1600's in Virginia.
We have been greatly inspired to create incredible architecture because of mollusks, most notably the Sydney Opera House in Australia. This inspiration was derived from the “Cock's - Comb Oyster” (Ostrea cristagilli) shell. Our fascination with sea shells is also reflected by many famous paintings and other forms of art. Botticellis “The Birth of Venus” (approximately 1480 A.D.) used a scallop shell as a model.
In several parts of the world, the Triton Shell (Charonia tritonis) has been used as a musical instrument. This fact has been depicted by artists, with mythological creatures call “Tritons” that were attendants to the sea-God Neptune.
Religious symbolism is another facet of our use of shells, dating back to medieval times. This association was made with early Christianity using the scallop shell (Petcten jacobeus) after the Saint.
Humanity's desire to collect and display mollusks probably reached its zenith during Victorian times. The study and classification of sea shells continues in the field of malacology today as it did with many conchologists of the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries.