Mollusc collection at Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Occurrence records for molluscs held at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

Mollusc research and collections have long been areas of strength at Te Papa. Roughly 7,000 mollusc species live in Aotearoa New Zealand, from our mountain peaks to the deep-sea trenches, and yet more species are known from the fossil record. More than 80% of our living mollusc species occur nowhere else. Te Papa also holds a large collection of molluscs from other parts of the world. Our collection comprises approximately half a million records, and tens of millions of specimens, ranging from iconic ‘whoppers’ such as our almost 70 specimens of giant squid to tiny alpine land-snails barely a millimetre in length. These records form the basis for an array of internal and external research and outreach programs, including informing conservation and fisheries practices, and biosecurity responses.

When citing specimens from this collection, please cite the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (acronym: NMNZ). Mollusc collection lots are prefixed by a capital “M” followed by period and then a unique six-digit number, with no spaces.