2012 malacological convention

The Malacological Society of the Philippines Inc and SEAFDEC/AQD co-organized the 6th National Malacological Convention and training in the collection and identification of coastal mollusks in the Philippines. This was held 15-19 December 2012 at FishWorld, AQD’s museum/visitor center in Tigbauan, Iloilo, Philippines.

At the convention, presenters from AQD, University of the Philippines Manila, University of San Carlos, and Western Visayas College of Science and Technology (all based in the Philippines); and Tohoku University (Japan) discussed evolution of land snails, reproduction of Indian volute and mud clam, aquaculture of abalone, among others. There were also poster presentations.

The training covered: (1) diversity of mollusks in west central Pacific, (2) diagnostic characters of families of coastal bivalves and gastropods, and (3) cataloguing and putting up a database of collections. The participants also had a laboratory session, identifying the mollusks they collected and dissecting slipper oyster and donkey’s ear abalone to study their anatomy.