molluscs

Octopuses have been captivating humans for as long as we have been catching them. Yet for all of our ancient fascination and modern research, we still have not been able to get a firm grasp on these enigmatic creatures. Katherine Harmon Courage dives into the mystifying underwater world of the octopus and reports on her research around the world. She reveals, for instance, that the oldest known octopus lived before the first dinosaurs and that two thirds of an octopus’s brain capacity is spread throughout its arms. Filled with interviews with leading experts, this book is both entertaining and scientifically grounded.

Prized for their amazing variety and extraordinary beauty, Conus is the largest genus of animals in the sea. The shells of these marine mollusks occur throughout the world’s tropical and subtropical oceans and contribute significantly to marine biodiversity. The neurotoxic venoms they produce have a range of pharmaceutical applications, from painkillers to antidepressants. This beautifully illustrated book identifies 53 valid species of the southeastern United States and the Caribbean, a region that supports a diverse but taxonomically challenging group of Conus. Introductory chapters cover the evolution and phylogeny of the genus, and notes on methodology are provided. Detailed species accounts describe key identification features, taxonomy, distribution, ecology, toxicology, life history, and evolutionary relationships. The book includes more than 2,100 photos of shells on 109 splendid color plates; more than 100 additional photos, many depicting live animals in color; and 35 color distribution maps.

This manual contains the main diagnostic shell characters of 189 species and 83 subspecies the taxonomic level of which is confirmed in a Project Intraspecific variation in living cowries (1998-2012). All the conclusions drawn in this project are based on the results of conchological studies. The diagnostic conchological information is supplemented in the Manual by discussion of the 18 main cowry forms and illustrated by more than 1,100 colour pictures.

When BBC Radio 4’s Material World programme announced a search for the UK’s top amateur scientist, little did anyone expect that the winning experiment would comprise one of our humblest garden pests. Ruth Brooks posed this question: Do snails have a homing instinct? The nation was gripped by the unexpected thesis and by Ruth’s online diaries, which catalogued her trials and tribulations as she got to grips with these slimy little gastropods. A Slow Passion is Ruth’s story, with anecdotes and misadventures galore. What starts out as a ruthless vendetta against the snails that are decimating her hostas becomes a journey of discovery into the whys and wherefores of snail life. When Ruth dumps a group of the worst offending snails in a far-off wood, she decides to paint their shells with nail varnish, just to see what happens. And guess what, they come back home.
This is the beginning of an obsession that sees the grandmother-turned-scientist prowling about and pouncing on the snails in her garden, sneaking off on night-time missions to repatriate bucketloads of painted snails, reading up on the sex-life of snails (which turns out to be unexpectedly romantic) and, eventually, sending off the application to a national competition for home science. With charming illustrations, A Slow Passion is a sweet, funny and surprising investigation into the hidden life of snails, which will change the way you look at the smaller (and slower) things in life.

Tailored for Tasmania, but relevant for all of southern Australia, this field guide has comprehensive and authoritative coverage of all species likely to be encountered on the shore. The colour photographs illustrate the commonest 350 species. The facing text describes these and a further 100 species.

The author Dr Simon Grove is a professional conservation biologist with a lifelong passion for seashells, marine life and natural history – and a shell collection to match.

Introduces one of the most charismatic, monstrous, enigmatic, and curious inhabitants – the squid. The pages take the reader on a wild narrative ride through the world of squid science and adventure, along the way addressing some riddles about how the human brain works, what intelligence is, and what monsters lie in the deep. In addition to squid, both giant and otherwise, this book examines the equally enthralling other cephalopod species, the octopus and cuttlefish, and explores their otherworldly camouflage and bioluminescent abilities.