Guide to collections


Polyplacophorans collection

Name Polyplacophorans collection
Alternative name MCNB. Col. polyplacophorans
Cite as Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona (MCNB). Polyplacophorans collection
MCNB. Col. polyplacophorans
Description Collection of Polyplacophora molluscs consisting of dry shells (99% of lots) and whole organisms preserved in ethyl alcohol 70%. In all, there are 710 specimens grouped in 224 lots, corresponding to around 50 species. Most of the material belongs to the Museum's historical collection (original collection of Francesc Martorell and collections of Antoni de Samà, Artur Bofill, Joan Baptista d'Aguilar-Amat, Joan Rosals, Baltasar Serradell, José Giner and Manuel de Chía). More recent additions include specimens from the collection of Joan Rosal i Sagalés. Geographically, the collection covers mainly the Mediterranean (above all, Catalan and Balearic coasts), along with a few specimens from the Pacific (mainly California), Atlantic and Indian (Southeast Asia) oceans. The whole collection has been registered, documented and digitalized to specimen-lot level. Data from a part of the collection (less than half) can be consulted on-line on the website of the Barcelona Natural History Museum and the portal GBIF. Representative specimens from the collection have been displayed in 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 Polyplacophora collection also includes shells from the collection of Antoni de Samà (added in around 1914) corresponding to marine molluscs from the Catalan coast. The addition of the collections of Aguilar-Amat, Artur Bofill and Joan Rosals in 1917-1920 increased the Museum's collection significantly. Further material came from other historical collections that were added subsequently, including specimens from the collections of Manuel de Chía (1923), Baltasar Serradell (1931) and José Giner (1932). Under the direction of Artur Bofill i Poch (1892-1929) and then Joan Baptista 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). The most recent additions (around 30 lots from the coasts of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands) belong to the collection of Joan Rosal i Sagalés and were donated in 2000. 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 Polyplacophora
Common name coverage chitons, polyplacophorans
Collectors Aguilar-Amat, Joan Baptista d'
Maluquer, Josep
Museu de Zoologia de Barcelona
[altres]
Collection type Preserved
Primary purpose Research
Include types No
Grouping principle Taxonomic
Formations periods ca. 1882-
Development statuses Passive growth
Collection extents 224 lots, 50 species, 710 specimens
Documentation state Documentary control of all the lots (registration, inventory and computerization). Most material still needs to be revised: identification to species level is based on documentation and original 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. Control of the environmental conditions in storage areas.
McGinley conservation statuses Level 8
Conservation status date 02-07-2013 (dd-mm-yyyy)
Institution Natural Science Museum of Barcelona - Non-Arthropod Invertebrates Department
Parent collection Collection of marine molluscs
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., 1918. Moluscos Ingressats en el Museu des de el 1er de juliol de 1917. Anuari de la Junta de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, 3: 201-224.

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.