Guide to collections


Collection of marine molluscs from the Balearic Islands

Name Collection of marine molluscs from the Balearic Islands
Alternative name MCNB. Col. marine molluscs Balearic Islands
Cite as Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona (MCNB). Collection of marine molluscs from the Balearic Islands
MCNB. Col. marine molluscs Balearic Islands
Description Collection of marine molluscs from the Balearic Islands consisting of dry shells (99% of lots) and whole organisms preserved in ethyl alcohol 70º. In all, there are 64,500 specimens grouped in 3,300 lots. The collection includes specimens from the classes Gastropoda, Bivalvia, Cephalopoda, Polyplacophora and Scaphopoda, above all from the first two of these classes (98%). The wet specimens are either Gastropoda or Cephalopoda. Wide taxonomic range of Gastropoda and Bivalvia. The geographical range of the collection includes all the main islands of the archipelago (Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, Formentera and Cabrera), as well as specimens from the smaller islands and islets. Part of the material belongs to the Museum's historical collection (original collection of Francesc Martorell and collections of Artur Bofill, Joan Baptista d'Aguilar-Amat, Joan Rosals, Barcelona Royal Academy of Science and the Arts and Baltasar Serradell, amongst others). Recent donations include the collections of Luis Gasull Martínez and Joan Rosal i Sagalés, the latter especially important from both a quantitative and qualitative perspective (over 65% of the Museum’s lots of marine molluscs from the Balearic Islands). All of the collection has been registered, documented and digitalized to specimen-lot level. Data from a part of the collection can be consulted on-line on the website of the Barcelona Natural History Museum and the portal GBIF. A selection from this collection has been displayed as part of the Museum's permanent exhibition.
Provenance The first specimens came from the shell collection of Francesc Martorell i Peña and were part of the original collection of the Martorell Museum (1879). The addition of the shell collections of Artur Bofill, Joan Baptista d'Aguilar-Amat and Joan Rosals in 1917-1920 increased the Museum's collection of marine fauna from the Balearic Islands significantly. Further material came from other historical collections that were added subsequently, including specimens from the collections of Barcelona Royal Academy of Science and the Arts (on permanent loan to the Museum since 1925) and Baltasar Serradell (1931). The Royal Academy’s collection also includes donations from Eusebio Mas and José Moll, amongst others. Also of interest are the donations made by collaborators and other sources related to the Museum (Marià Ferrer Bravo, Enric Gros, Josep Maluquer and Santiago Novellas). The oldest wet specimens are part of the collection of the Oceanographic Section that was inaugurated at the beginning of 1917. Under the direction of Artur Bofill i Poch (1892-1929) and then J. B. d’Aguilar-Amat (1929-1936), the malacological section began to be reorganized and all the different collections were united and the nomenclature revised (all the original labels have been preserved). More recent additions include the collections of Joan Rosals i Sagalés, donated in 2000 and, above all, that of Luis Gasull Martínez (donated in 1983 when Rosario Nos was Museum Director). This latter collection has greatly increased the Museum’s marine malacological collection from the Balearic Islands and today represents around 65% of the Museum’s collection of this group from these islands. Francesc Uribe has been curator of the Museum's non-Arthropod Invertebrate collection since 1997. During his time in charge, the registration, documentation and computerization to specimen-lot level has been completed.
Kingdom coverage Animalia
Taxon coverage Bivalvia (strength), Cephalopoda, Gastropoda (strength), Polyplacophora, Scaphopoda
Collectors Aguilar-Amat, Joan Baptista d'
Escoté, Salvador
Ferrer Bravo, Marià
Galiana, R.
Gasull Martínez, Luis
Gros, Enric
Laboratori Oceanogràfic de Balears
Mateu, G.
Mercadal, B.
Museu de Zoologia de Barcelona
[altres]
Collection type Preserved
Primary purpose Research
Include types No
Grouping principle Spatial
Formations periods ca. 1882-
Development statuses Passive growth
Collection extents 3300 lots, 64500 specimens
Documentation state Documentary control of all lots (registration, inventory and computerization). Part of the material (historical collections) still requires revision. Identification to species level carried out according to the original documentation and labels (nomenclature updated for the samples documented with MuseumPlus).
Specimen preservation methods Fluid-preserved, No Treatment
Preparation and conservation Dried material boxed or wrapped up in protective material in individual containers. A large number have Tyvek labels. Periodical control of samples in liquid. Control of the environmental conditions in storage areas. Some groups of specimens such as the Luis Gasull and Joan Rosal collections have Tyvek labels.
McGinley conservation statuses Level 8
Conservation status date 26-07-2013 (dd-mm-yyyy)
Institution Natural Science Museum of Barcelona - Non-Arthropod Invertebrates Department
Parent collection Collection of marine molluscs
Collection of marine molluscs from the Mediterranean Sea
Associated person Miguel Prieto (Documentalist), Francesc Uribe (Curator),
Item level access MCNB Mollusca GBIF online database (date when consulted) (accessed through GBIF data portal, http://data.gbif.org/datasets/resource/9125, 2013-09-04)
Col·leccions en línia de Zoologia (MCNB) / Online Zoological Collections (MCNB)
Related material Bofill i Poch, A., 1917. La colecció Rosals. Anuari de la Junta de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, 2: 193-196.

Bofill i Poch, A., 1917. Moluscos ingressats en el Museu desde el mes de juny de 1916. Anuari de la Junta de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, 2: 533-549.

Gasull, L. & Cuerda, J., 1974. Malacología del contenido gástrico de las grandes estrellas de mar. Boletín de la Sociedad de Historia Natural de Baleares, 19: 155-175.

Maluquer, J., 1917. Organització i increment de la Secció Oceanogràfica. Anuari de la Junta de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, 2: 205-238.

Maluquer, J., 1918. Les seccions ictiològica i d'invertebrats marins en 1918. Anuari de la Junta de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, 3: 192-198.

Martorell, M. & Bofill, A., 1888. Catálogo de la colección conchiológica que fué de D. Francisco Martorell y Peña legada por dicho señor á la ciudad de Barcelona y existente en el Museo Martorell de la propia ciudad. Barcelona. 94 pp.

Nos, R., 1984. Homenatge del Museu de Zoologia de Barcelona a tres malacòlegs catalans. Lluís Gasull Martínez, Carles Altimira Aleu i Jaume Bot Arenas. Miscel·lània Zoològica, 8: 311-312.