In this study, we investigate the distribution of radiocarbon and uranium in the calcified opercula of Turbo sp. collected from Ryukyu region and Chiba, Japan, to explore the potential of U/Th dating using mollusks collected from the Japanese archipelago. We acquired high-resolution radiocarbon and uranium concentration measurements using single-stage accelerator mass spectrometry and laser ablation−inductively coupled plasma−mass spectrometry. Our results show that uranium in the opercula of modern Turbo sp. is unevenly distributed at concentrations 1000 times less than those in coral skeletons. Radiocarbon found in the calcified opercula samples record ambient seawater radiocarbon values as well as coral skeletons. Uranium in the calcified opercula of Holocene Turbo marmoratus were also unevenly distributed and concentrated within the opercula in a different manner than observed in modern samples, suggesting uranium exchange after death. Our results suggest variable uptake of uranium isotopes into mollusk shells and highlights the need for rigorous sample selection criteria when choosing mollusks species for U/Th dating around Japan.

We evaluate carbonate gastropod shells as 14C proxies for groundwater discharge at springs. Groundwater 14C is commonly used to estimate groundwater transit times, and a carbonate shell proxy would present a different way of collecting groundwater 14C data. Specifically, we test the hypothesis that in exclusively groundwater-fed spring systems, water 14C is preserved in carbonate shells at multiple sites, species, and water 14C. We first present isotopic and water temperature variability over several years at three spring sites in Utah. We then compare the 14C of contemporaneously collected water, sediment, and shells of benthic gastropods (Melanoides tuberculata, Pyrgulopsis pilsbryana, and Physella gyrina). We show that water and shell 14C activities at each site are correlated (slope = 1.00, R2 = 0.999, n = 22). These results support the hypothesis that 14C from groundwater is preserved in carbonate shells, and that aqueous gastropods a viable groundwater 14C proxy. Finally, we describe the utility and limitations of using gastropod shells as a groundwater 14C proxy.

A parasitological survey of terrestrial slugs and snails was conducted at popular dog walking locations across the city of Nottingham, with the intensions of finding gastropods infected with parasites of medical (or veterinary) importance such as lungworm (metastrongyloid nematodes) and trematodes. A total of 800 gastropods were collected from 16 sites over a 225 km2 area. The extracted nematodes and trematodes were identified by molecular barcoding. Of the 800 gastropods collected, 227 were infected (172 had nematode infections, 37 had trematode infections and 18 had both nematode and trematode infections). Of the nematode infected gastropods genotyped, seven species were identified, Agfa flexilis, Angiostoma gandavense, Angiostoma margaretae, Cosmocerca longicauda, Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita, Phasmarhabditis neopapillosa and an unknown Cosmocercidae species. Of the trematode infected gastropods genotyped, four species were identified, Brachylaima arcuate, Brachylaima fuscata, Brachylaima mesostoma and an unknown Plagiorchioidea species. No lungworm species were found within the city of Nottingham. To our knowledge, this study represents the first survey of gastropod-associated nematodes and trematodes in the East midlands of the United Kingdom.

Gastropod-associated nematodes have been previously studied and documented worldwide, with some species forming host-specific association as obligate parasites of molluscs while others form intermediate and temporary association. Philippinella moellendorffi from Imelda, Zamboanga Sibugay, Philippines, were collected, washed and maintained in the laboratory until death. Cadavers were placed on nutrient agar to allow nematode proliferation. Nematode pure culture was obtained using one gravid female for propagation. Morphology and molecular analyses (18S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and D2–D3 expansion segments of 28S rDNA) were employed as diagnostic tools in identifying the nematode species isolated from P. moellendorffi. The newly isolated nematode was identified as Caenorhabditis brenneri, thus designated as C. brenneri strain IZSP from the Philippines. This is the first record of C. brenneri isolated from the terrestrial slug P. moellendorffi.

A checklist of larval digeneans parasitising molluscs from inland waters of Argentina is presented here. Based on the bibliographical survey of 113 scientific articles and nine theses published between 1930 and 2021, 213 digeneans were found, which were distributed within 13 superfamilies and 35 families. The parasites were identified in 102 locations, encompassing eight of the sixteen biogeographical provinces in Argentina. Digeneans were found in 34 mollusc species (31 gastropods and three bivalves) belonging to 17 genera. The available data are presented for each digenean species, and included host information, localities, prevalence values, type of habitat, life cycle information (natural or experimental host), and information on material and genetic sequences deposited in repositories. Only 21.1% of individuals were identified to species level, and 8.5% to genus level. In addition, the genetic sequences of only 10 species (4.7%) were available at GenBank. This survey constitutes the first checklist of parasitic helminths in molluscs from inland waters of Argentina.

Calcareous loess in North Canterbury, eastern South Island, New Zealand (NZ), preserves subfossil bird bone, terrestrial gastropods, and eggshell, whose abundances and radiocarbon ages allowed us to reconstruct aspects of palaeoenvironment at high resolution through 25 to 21 cal ka BP. This interval includes millennial-scale climatic variability during the extended last glacial maximum (30–18 ka) of Australasia. Our loess palaeoclimatic record shows good correspondence with stadial and interstadial climate events of the NZ Climate Event Stratigraphy, which were defined from a pollen record on the western side of South Island. An interstade from 25.4 to 24 cal ka BP was warm but also relatively humid on eastern South Island, and loess grain size may indicate reduced vigour of the Southern Hemisphere westerly winds. The subsequent stade (24–22.6 cal ka BP) was drier, colder, and probably windier. The next interstade remained relatively dry on eastern South Island, and westerly winds remained vigorous. The 25.4–24 ka interstade is synchronous with Heinrich stade 2, which may have driven a southward migration of the subtropical front, leading to warming and wetting of northern and central South Island and retreat of Southern Alps glaciers at ca. 26.5 ka.

We have monitored tributyltin (TBT) pollution in Galicia (NW Spain) for more than a decade by means of assessing gastropod imposex in populations of Nucella lapillus (N ≥ 34) and Tritia reticulata (N ≥ 18) at regular intervals. Several thousand specimens were processed to obtain their shell height (SH), penis length (PL) and vas deferens sequence (VDS); imposex indices (including the VDS index, VDSI) were subsequently calculated. The regional mean SH of both females and males has not changed significantly in either species throughout the study. This also applies to the mean male PL in N. lapillus, but male T. reticulata penises surprisingly enlarged. On the contrary, the regional mean female PL (MFPL) and all imposex indices significantly decreased in both snails. Results confirm previous conclusions based on the chemical analyses of tissues and partial imposex observations. In addition, the close correlations between MFPL and VDSI show some potential applications to TBT biomonitoring.

The predominantly carbonate nature of the mountains near the coast of Málaga and Marbella (Costa del Sol, southern Spain) and the presence of springs have favored the formation of travertine buildups during the Quaternary. The geomorphic characteristics of the slopes and the location of the springs have determined the development of three types of travertine growths: (1) spring travertines, located preferentially on the south mountainside, where the slope is steepest; (2) pool-dam-cascade travertines, which form along the north and east edges, far from the carbonate relief and with a gentler slope; and (3) river-valley travertines, formed in the courses of the springs of any sector. Field observations combined with new amino acid racemization (AAR) dating of Helicidae gastropods show that most of the travertine formations are polyphasic and that their development was interrupted by stages of erosion and incision. Five stages of travertine development are evident, most of which are related to warm, moist episodes corresponding to marine oxygen isotope stages (MIS) 7, 5, 3, and 1, although local travertine growth also occurred during MIS 6 and during the transition from MIS 3 to 2.

Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita is a parasitic nematode of terrestrial gastropods that has been formulated into a biological control agent for farmers and gardeners to kill slugs and snails. In order to locate slugs it is attracted to mucus, faeces and volatile cues; however, there is no information about whether these nematodes are attracted to snail cues. It is also unknown how wild isolates of P. hermaphrodita or different Phasmarhabditis species behave when exposed to gastropod cues. Therefore, we investigated whether P. hermaphrodita (commercial and wild isolated strains), P. neopapillosa and P. californica were attracted to mucus from several common snail species (Cepaea nemoralis, Cepaea hortensis, Arianta arbustorum and Cornu aspersum). We also examined whether snails (C. aspersum) collected from different locations around the UK differed in their attractiveness to wild isolates of P. hermaphrodita. Furthermore, we also investigated what properties of snail mucus the nematodes were attracted to, including hyaluronic acid and metal salts (FeSO4, ZnSO4, CuSO4 and MgSO4). We found that the commercial strain of P. hermaphrodita responded poorly to snail mucus compared to wild isolated strains, and C. aspersum collected from different parts of the UK differed in their attractiveness to the nematodes. We found that Phasmarhabditis nematodes were weakly attracted to all metals tested but were strongly attracted to hyaluronic acid. In a final experiment we also showed that pharmacological manipulation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) increased chemoattraction to snail mucus, suggesting that the protein kinase EGL-4 may be responsible for Phasmarhabditis sp. chemoattraction.

In the southern Gulf of Mexico, the spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) is the second most frequently caught batoid in small-scale fisheries off Campeche. Ecological aspects of this ray are unknown in this region, hampering the understanding of the relationship between its distribution and prey availability in the fishing area. In order to study the feeding habits of this batoid and characterize its potential prey in the study area, stomachs and intestines of 154 specimens (68 females and 86 males) were analysed. The results indicated that A. narinari near Campeche is a specialist and selective predator that feeds mainly on gastropods (92.7% IRI), with no significant differences in the diet found between sexes, size groups, or between stomach and intestine contents. In addition, the results indicated that the most important prey species in the diet were among the most common benthic species in three of the four sampling transects positioned in or adjacent to fishing areas for rays. These most important prey species were Strombus pugilis (53.33% IRI) and Americoliva reticularis (25.6% IRI). Other prey species included Lobatus costatus (5.6% IRI) and Petrochirus diogenes (3.6% IRI). This study suggests that this widely distributed ray species feeds in Campeche's coastal waters and that the study of its potential prey increases the understanding of ecological aspects of the species, which emphasizes the added importance of monitoring fishery impacts on prey species (e.g. the conch fishery off Campeche) to help support integrated assessment and management of fisheries.

The shallow sandy marine subtidal ecosystem off Mar del Plata, Argentina, is the scene of multiple fisheries activities, in particular the prawn–shrimp Artemesia longinaris and Pleoticus muelleri grounds. We examined the δ13C vs δ15N isotope signatures of 22 species commonly found in the area in order to understand how this ecosystem supports the fishery, with special emphasis on imposex-affected gastropod populations. Our results indicate that the main food source for Olivancillaria urceus and Buccinanops monilifer were bivalves and crustaceans. Buccinanops duartei and Olivancillaria carcellesi feed on bivalves and also on macroalgae. These findings indicate, for the first time, a slight selectivity of some of the gastropods studied for local drifted algal sources and how gastropods may scavenge available food from by-catch returned to the sea. The fishes Urophysis brasiliensis and Callorhynchus callorhynchus appeared to be the top predators of this area with B. duartei and O. carcellesi constituting important components of their diet.

Authigenic calcite silts at Wadi Midauwara in Kharga Oasis, Egypt, indicate the prolonged presence of surface water during the Marine Isotope Stage 5e pluvial phase recognized across North Africa. Exposed over an area of ∼ 4.25 km2, these silts record the ponding of water derived from springs along the Libyan Plateau escarpment and from surface drainage. The δ18O values of these lacustrine carbonates (− 11.3‰ to − 8.0‰ PDB), are too high to reflect equilibrium precipitation with Nubian aquifer water or water of an exclusively Atlantic origin. Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca of the silts have a modest negative covariance with silt δ18O values, suggesting that the water may have experienced the shortest residence time in local aquifers when the water δ18O values were highest. Furthermore, intra-shell δ18O, Sr/Ca, and Ba/Ca analyses of the freshwater gastropod Melanoides tuberculata are consistent with a perennially fresh water source, suggesting that strong evaporative effects expected in a monsoonal climate did not occur, or that dry season spring flow was of sufficient magnitude to mute the effects of evaporation. The input of a second, isotopically heavier water source to aquifers, possibly Indian Ocean monsoonal rain, could explain the observed trends in δ18O and minor element ratios.

Analysis of terrestrial gastropods that underlie the late Pleistocene Two Creeks forest bed (~ 13,800–13,500 cal yr BP) in eastern Wisconsin, USA provides evidence for a mixed tundra-taiga environment prior to formation of the taiga forest bed. Ten new AMS 14C analyses on terrestrial gastropod shells indicate the mixed tundra-taiga environment persisted from ~ 14,500 to 13,900 cal yr BP. The Twocreekan climatic substage, representing ice-free conditions on the shore of Lake Michigan, therefore began near the onset of peak warming conditions during the Bølling–Allerød interstadial and lasted ~ 1000 yr, nearly 600 yr longer than previously thought. These results provide important data for understanding the response of continental ice sheets to global climate forcing and demonstrate the potential of using terrestrial gastropod fossils for both environmental reconstruction and age control in late Quaternary sediments.

Red Hills Road Cave, Jamaica is a remnant of a karstic feature quarried away during road building. It is the most important site for Late Pleistocene terrestrial palaeontology on the island. The site is c. 30 ka old. Many taxa were washed in during hurricanes and tropical storms, either as dead carcasses or live organisms that drowned as the cave filled with water. The invertebrate fauna includes snails and arthropods; none are obligate cave dwellers. The 62 species of land snails are the most diverse of any Jamaican cave; operculate taxa may be preserved with the operculum in situ. Arthropods include the only fossil millipedes, isopods and insects (fly puparia, beetle elytra) in the Jamaican fossil record, in addition to land crabs. Millipedes and isopods are well preserved because of a diagenetically early coating of calcite cement. The exoskeletons of these groups contain a small, but significant, calcite component not found in insects, spiders and scorpions. The vertebrate fauna remains understudied, but include: a rodent and three species of bat; a flightless ibis and various other birds; and reptile and amphibian remains. In contrast to the arthropods, the vertebrates are invariably disarticulated apart from rare crania, jawbones retaining teeth and bones that are fused in life. A dead millipede could be coated in calcite when floating in the cave immediately after death; a dead vertebrate carcass would have to rot to expose its bones after the cave dried out and would, most likely, disarticulate before or during the next inundation.

Polinices marambioensis is a naticid gastropod which is the most common constituent in fossil accumulations in the upper section of the Cucullaea I Allomember (Middle Eocene) of the La Meseta Formation in James Ross Basin, Antarctic Peninsula. This species was an important predator of infaunal bivalves and gastropods, including other naticids. The aim of this work was to assess the pattern of predation and cannibalistic behaviour of P. marambioensis. A total of 2648 specimens of P. marambioensis were examined for drill holes, which were assigned to Oichnus paraboloides. Drilling frequency data were measured as a proxy for predation intensity and statistical analyses were performed. Further, the site of each drill hole was established according to the morphological features of the shell on each specimen to assess possible preference of predators for the site of perforation. Results suggest that P. marambioensis is an efficient cannibalistic predator for a specific size range of prey (8–22 mm), and drill holes are distributed preferentially in two specific sectors of their shells. This selective cannibalistic prey behaviour in P. marambioensis affected not only the dynamics of their populations but the ecological structure of the community in which they lived.

Saint-Augustin Lake is an urban lake in Québec, Canada that has been subjected to long periods of direct human impact, mainly due to agricultural and urban activities, with great changes in trophic status and chemistry occurring within the last few decades. In 2009, during an examination of the lake bottom substrate, the presence of the invasive species Cipangopaludina chinensis (Reeve, 1863) was found on floor bottom sediments. The gastropods soft tissues were mineralized and analyzed by ICP-OES. The purpose of this study was to estimate concentrations of heavy metals in C. chinensis, describing the relations of these values with the sediment metal. In gastropod soft tissues the overall common trend in the heavy metal concentrations was revealed in the following order: Fe>Mn>Zn>Cu>As>Ni>Pb>Cd>Cr. Biota-sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs) have shown that C. chinensis cannot be used as a bioindicator of heavy metal pollution and exposure in the Canadian lakes where it is present. In fact, while the sediments of Saint-Augustin Lake are characterized by high metal concentrations, C. chinensis does not have high bioaccumulation factors (BSAFs <1.0). By literature comparison with other aquatic organisms in polluted ecosystems at different latitudes it was possible to affirm that the concentrations of Fe, Mn and Zn in C. chinensis tissues are considerable if compared with these sites.

The composition and structure of a molluscan assemblage inhabiting an outcrop with a coralligenous community was studied in southern Spain. A total of 117 molluscan species were identified, with gastropods as the dominant group. Calyptraea chinensis was the dominant species and the family Conidae presented the highest number of species. The Shannon–Wiener diversity index and the Evenness showed non-significant changes between cold and warm months, displaying high values (~4 bits and ~0.8 bits respectively). Some of the dominant and/or frequent species are strictly associated with coralligenous-building organisms, such as Neosimnia spelta with gorgonians. Regarding trophic guilds, carnivores are the dominant group, followed by filter feeders due to the high abundance of C. chinensis. Regarding biogeographical distributions, most of these species (<95%) are widely distributed in European waters, the number of strictly Mediterranean species being very low. The Alboran Sea represents the distributional limit towards the Mediterranean for some species found in this bottom, such as the Atlantic Bela powisiana. Rocky–coralligenous bottoms are scarce in the western Alboran Sea but support a high species richness molluscan assemblage, displaying higher diversity values than the surrounding soft bottoms and increasing the biodiversity at local scale. This high biodiversity is partly explained by the coexistence of different taxa with contrasting biogeographical affinities promoted by the geographical location of the area. Due to this, conservation efforts should be required to protect this stretch of coastline where one of the most biodiverse invertebrate assemblages along the European coasts can be found.

This contribution focuses on the diversity of gastropods that lived in the Beagle Channel during the Early and Middle Holocene (from ca. 7500 to 4000 years BP). This temporal framework has special interest because it allowed us to evaluate the colonization process of a relatively recent marine ecosystem, the Beagle Channel (originated 8000–7500 years ago), and the possibility that this channel has represented a ‘faunistic corridor’ between the Atlantic and Pacific waters of the Magellan Region. Fossil material from four sampling localities was studied; 31 species of gastropods were identified. Additional records of four species of gastropods from six other sites at the Beagle Channel are provided. The fauna described in this work represents the ancestors of the living fauna in the region. In addition, most of these species are also currently found both in the Atlantic and Pacific Magellanic waters, strongly suggesting that the Beagle Channel represented a favourable route for the dispersal of molluscs.

Hydrobia ulvae displays an endogenous rhythm of crawling behaviour of circatidal periodicity, with higher levels of activity during high water. In the present study we address the effect of repeated cycles of immersion and emersion at tidal periodicity on the level and synchronism of the behaviour, by contrasting these with the effects of continuous immersion and continuous emersion. Snails were recorded in dark conditions under the different immersion regimes for 3 days. The results show that continuously emersed snails displayed very low levels of activity. Average activity levels of continuously immersed snails and of those subjected to tidal cycles of immersion and emersion were similar, had identical periods related to the period of the tidal cycle, and had similar phase relationships to the expected tidal cycle. However, form-estimates for these two categories of snails differed, the snails subjected to cyclic conditions showing a larger amplitude and greater synchronism of activity. Therefore, it is concluded that recurrent cycles of immersion and emersion should contribute to well defined cycles of activity in the intertidal environment, with greater activity levels during high water.