RESEARCH ARTICLE

Melongenid collection at the Science Museum of the
University of Coimbra, Portugal

André Breves1, Ana C. Rufino2,3, Daniel Abbate4, Luiz R. L. Simone5, Carlo M. Cunha6

1 Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera (IPMA, I.P.), Algés, Portugal.
2 Museu da Ciência, Universidade de Coimbra – Laboratorio Chimico, Coimbra, Portugal.
3 Centre for Functional Ecology – Science for People and the Planet University of Coimbra (CFE/UC), Coimbra, Portugal.
4 Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
5 Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
6 Department of Microscopy, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.

Abstract

In the present study, we aim to register species of Melongenidae from various geographic localities housed in the Science Museum of the University of Coimbra. The collection comprises a total of 152 specimens across 21 lots, representing eight species from Venezuela, Brazil, Saint Helena, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, India, the Philippines, and other regions. Specifically, 17 specimens were classified as Pugilina tupiniquim, with nine originating from the location labelled as “Brazil”, donated in 1899 by Luís de Carvalho to the Coimbra Museum, and eight from “Ilha da Trindade”. These specimens were presumably collected on Trindade Island, a Brazilian oceanic island located approximately 1,200 km east of the Brazilian coast, where no documented records of any Melongenidae species exist. The authenticity of this locality raises concerns, and further studies are necessary to clarify the provenance of these specimens and verify the accuracy of the associated data.

Cite as: Breves A., Rufino A.C., Abbate D., Simone L.R.L., Cunha C.M. (2025) Melongenid collection at the Science Museum of the University of Coimbra, Portugal. Strombus 29(1–2): 8–15.

Publication date: 07 July 2025.