Natural History Specimens

Shells (conchology): What to Record

Shells of molluscs - gastropods, bivalves, cephalopods and others.

The Data Sheet for Shells (conchology)

The 36 fields worth recording for shells (conchology), grouped as in the ordicio app. Fields marked with a broader category come from it; the others are specific to shells (conchology).

Taxonomy

Scientific name Text Natural history specimens: Genus and species with author and year if known, e.g. Phacops rana (Green, 1832); write 'sp.' when the species is not determined.
Common name Text Natural history specimens: Vernacular name, e.g. Eyed trilobite, Common cockle.
Phylum Text Natural history specimens: Phylum (or division for plants), e.g. Arthropoda, Mollusca, Chordata.
Class Text Natural history specimens: Taxonomic class, e.g. Trilobita, Cephalopoda, Insecta.
Order Text Natural history specimens: Taxonomic order, e.g. Phacopida, Ammonitida, Lepidoptera.
Family Text Natural history specimens: Taxonomic family, e.g. Phacopidae, Papilionidae.
Determined by Text Natural history specimens: Who identified the specimen and when (expert, museum, own determination).

Collection data

Where, when and by whom the specimen was collected.

Locality Text Natural history specimens: Exact find site, as specific as possible, e.g. quarry, mine and level, beach, outcrop.
Region Text Natural history specimens: State, province, county or district of the locality.
Country Text Natural history specimens: Country of origin or issue, by its usual English name (historic states as named at the time, e.g. Kingdom of Bavaria).
Coordinates Place Natural history specimens: Geographic position of the locality (keep private for sensitive sites).
Habitat Text Natural history specimens: Habitat and conditions at collection, e.g. intertidal rocks, 20 m depth on sand, at light, beech forest.
Collected by Text Natural history specimens: Person who collected or excavated the specimen.
Collection date Date Natural history specimens: Date the specimen was collected in the field.
Field / collection number Text Natural history specimens: Collector's field number or the number of an earlier collection.

Specimen

Sex / stage Choice Natural history specimens: Sex or life stage of the specimen.
Male
Female
Pair
Juvenile / larva
Unknown
Quantity Whole number, at least 1 Natural history specimens: Number of identical pieces held, when they are recorded together.
Shell size (mm) Number: Greatest length (height for gastropods).
Shell grade Choice: Quality after the HMS-ISGS shell grading standards (+ steps are trade usage).
Gem
F+++
F++
F+
Fine
F-
Good+
Good
Good-
Commercial
Collected Choice: Whether the animal was alive when collected.
Live-collected
Collected dead (empty shell)
Beach-collected
Unknown
Operculum Choice: Whether the operculum (lid of gastropods) is kept with the shell.
Present
Absent
Not applicable

Legal

Protection status and documents.

CITES status Choice Natural history specimens: Listing of the species or material under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
Not listed
Appendix I
Appendix II
Appendix III
Exempt (pre-Convention / antique)
Unknown
Permits & documents Text Natural history specimens: Collecting, export, import or trade permits and certificates with their numbers and issuing authority.

Condition

Condition notes Text Natural history specimens: Faults, wear and damage in detail.
Restoration & repairs Text Natural history specimens: Restorations, repairs, replaced parts and cleaning, with who did them and when if known.

Acquisition

How and when the object came into the collection.

Acquisition date Date Natural history specimens: Date the object came into the collection.
Acquisition method Choice, or your own Natural history specimens: How the object came into the collection.
Purchase
Auction
Gift
Inheritance
Exchange / trade
Self-collected / found
Commission
Acquired from Text Natural history specimens: Seller, auction house (with sale and lot number), donor or place where it was found.
Purchase price Amount Natural history specimens: Price paid including fees and premiums.
Provenance Text Natural history specimens: Earlier owners and the object's history, oldest first, with sources (labels, invoices, sale catalogues).

Value

Estimated and insured value.

Estimated value Amount Natural history specimens: Current market value as estimated.
Valuation date Date Natural history specimens: Date of the current value estimate.
Valuation basis Choice Natural history specimens: What the estimated value is based on.
Own estimate
Recent sales / auction results
Dealer offer
Catalogue value
Professional appraisal
Insurance valuation
Insured value Amount Natural history specimens: Sum the object is insured for.

Collection record

Your own inventory data.

Inventory number Text Natural history specimens: Your own number or label for the object, e.g. C-0042, as written on its label or album page.
Storage location Text Natural history specimens: Where the object is kept, e.g. room, cabinet, drawer, album and page, box.