{"id":48753,"date":"2026-10-02T18:01:52","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T16:01:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/opistobranquis.info\/?page_id=48753"},"modified":"2026-10-02T19:30:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T17:30:11","slug":"atlas-of-the-opisthobranchs-of-the-central-eastern-coast-of-sicily","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/opistobranquis.info\/en\/recursos\/llibres-recomanats\/atlas-of-the-opisthobranchs-of-the-central-eastern-coast-of-sicily\/","title":{"rendered":"Atlas of the Opisthobranchs of the Central-Eastern Coast of Sicily"},"content":{"rendered":"

The publication of a new regional atlas of Mediterranean Heterobranchia is always welcome, particularly when it is the result of several years of systematic underwater observation. Atlas of the Opisthobranchs of the Central-Eastern Coast of Sicily<\/em>, by Andrea Lombardo and Giuliana Marletta, presents the results of an extensive photographic survey of the central-eastern Sicilian coast and documents 150 species in a generously illustrated volume of 386 pages.<\/p>\n

\"Atlas<\/p>\n

The first impression is undoubtedly visual. The book contains a remarkable number of underwater photographs, often several for each species, showing individuals in different positions, sizes and colour patterns. Rather than selecting a single aesthetically perfect image, the authors frequently provide a series of photographs that reflects the variability encountered in the field. For identification purposes this is particularly useful in Heterobranchia, where colour and external morphology may vary considerably between individuals. The fact that many specimens are shown in their natural surroundings also provides information about habitat and substrate that would inevitably be lost in isolated photographs.<\/p>\n

The photographic material is complemented by information on external morphology, distribution, abundance, bathymetric range, substrate preferences and seasonality. The result is therefore more than a photographic guide: it is a regional faunistic work based on direct field observation, in which photography constitutes an important component of the scientific documentation. This approach is consistent with the authors’ previous studies of the heterobranch fauna of Sicily and its surrounding islands, where extensive underwater surveys have produced progressively more detailed inventories of the region.<\/p>\n

The geographical scope is one of the strengths of the book. A regional atlas cannot provide a complete picture of Mediterranean diversity, but it can offer a degree of detail that broader identification guides cannot achieve. The Sicilian fauna is particularly interesting in this respect, occupying a central Mediterranean position where eastern and western faunal elements meet. The atlas consequently provides useful comparative material for anyone working on Mediterranean Heterobranchia beyond Sicily itself.<\/p>\n

One taxonomic detail will inevitably attract the attention of the modern malacologist: the use of “Opisthobranchs”\u00a0in the title. Opisthobranchia<\/em>, once widely used to encompass a large assemblage of marine gastropods including nudibranchs, sacoglossans and several other lineages, is no longer regarded as a monophyletic taxon. These groups are now distributed within Heterobranchia according to their evolutionary relationships. The terminology used in the title should therefore be understood principally in its traditional and practical sense. Interestingly, Lombardo and Marletta themselves use Heterobranchia<\/em> in their more recent scientific publications, including their 2026 work on the fauna of Ustica. The choice of Opisthobranchs<\/em> here is consequently better interpreted as a link with the established literature and with the terminology still familiar to divers and naturalists than as a taxonomic statement.<\/p>\n

From a malacological perspective, perhaps the most valuable aspect of the atlas is the amount of field information accumulated behind the photographs. Eight years of observations are reflected not only in the number of species, but also in the numerous images of individual animals and the ecological information accompanying them. The book thus constitutes a substantial photographic record of the heterobranch fauna of a well-defined Mediterranean region at a particular point in time.<\/p>\n

As with any regional photographic atlas, its usefulness will ultimately depend on how it is used alongside broader taxonomic literature and on the continuing revision of Mediterranean species concepts. Nevertheless, this does not detract from its principal value. Lombardo and Marletta have produced a visually impressive and scientifically useful contribution that will be of interest to malacologists, marine naturalists, underwater photographers and divers alike.<\/p>\n

For those familiar with Mediterranean sea slugs, the book offers something particularly valuable: not simply a catalogue of species, but a substantial visual record of how these animals actually appear underwater, in the habitats where they live. That combination of extensive field experience, photographic documentation and regional faunistics makes this atlas a welcome addition to the Mediterranean malacological literature.<\/p>\n

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