A preliminary checklist of the marine gastropods (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of Moreton Bay, Queensland

A preliminary checklist of the marine gastropod molluscs of Moreton Bay is presented, based on the collections of the Queensland Museum, supplemented by records from the Moreton Bay Workshop (2005), published literature and unpublished field records. 1023 species have to date been recorded from the bay area (Caloundra to the Gold Coast including bay islands, to 50 metres depth) representing 138 families and 446 genera. Dominating, in terms of species numbers, are caenogastropod 'prosobranchs' with 672 species (65% of the faunal total) most of which are carnivorous. In contrast, patellogastropods (true limpets), vetigastropods (trochids, turbinids and allies) and neritimorphs, despite containing some of the most abundant species of bay gastropods, constituent less than 8.0% of the total species count. The larger groups of caenogastropods are the Muricoidea (murex shells and allies, 100 species or 9.8% of faunal total), Conoidea (cones, terebrids and turrids: 122 species or 11.9%), Cypraeoidea (cowries and allies), Triphoroidea (triphorids plus cerithiopsids) and Buccinoidea (true whelks) - these three groups each with just over 70 species (each approximately 7.0% of the faunal total). Next in size to the Caenogas-tropoda is the Heterobranchia (opisthobranchs sensu lato plus pulmonates) with 273 recorded species (approximately 26% of faunal total), dominated by a large nudibranch component (145 species, almost half of which are doridoideans). The number of gastropod species that actually occur within Moreton Bay is unknown and likely to remain so until the appropriate taxonomic work and supplementary collecting are carried out. Certain families, such as the Cypraeidae (cowries), Ovulidae (allied cowries), Strombidae (strombs), Mitridae (mitres), Ranellidae (tritons) and Conidae (specifically subfamily Coninae -- cone shells) are very well documented thanks largely to their popularity with collectors and/or specialists. Other groups, notably the small-shelled 'turrids', the various rissooidean families and pyramidellid heterobranchs almost certainly have significant numbers of unrecorded or undescribed species living in the bay, and hence such groups should be targeted in future studies. The impressive diversity of the bay gastropod fauna undoubtedly reflects the physical complexity of the region and the wide range of available habitats (sandflats, mudflats, seagrass areas, mangroves, rocky reefs, coral reefs).