Editor David Herbert has recently finished checking through MolluscaBase to see that all the molluscan taxa described by the French malacologist Pierre Marie Arthur Morelet (1809–1892) have been entered correctly and are complete with original names and descriptions.

Morelet named over 740 new molluscan taxa as species, subspecies and varieties, of which 463 are currently recognised as accepted species and 11 as accepted subspecies (non nominotypical).

Over 60 eponymous scientific names were created in his honour, including 50 molluscs and additional invertebrates, as well a crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii)!

The following sources were key to this exercise:

Breure, A.S.H., Audibert, C. & Ablett, J.D. (2018). Pierre Marie Arthur Morelet (1809-1892) and his contributions to malacology. Leiden: Nederlandse Malacologische Vereniging. 544 pp.
https://molluscabase.org/aphia.php?p=sourcedetails&id=303260

Breure, A.S.H. & Ablett, J.D. (2021). Morelet’s contributions to malacology: additions and corrections. Basteria 85 (2): 157–161. https://molluscabase.org/aphia.php?p=sourcedetails&id=501787

On behalf of the Molluscabase Editor community,
Chris Vos, F. L. S.

Photograph: Pierre Marie Arthur Morelet (1809–1892)