Intertidal Bivalve and Gastropod Shell Morphology: Feasibility as Dry Specimens for Invertebrate Systematics Learning
DOI:
10.29303/jppipa.v12i9.15432Published:
2026-09-30Downloads
Abstract
Invertebrate Systematics learning requires physical specimens, as digital media often fail to capture complete morphological traits. Addressing this limitation, this study aims to explore and characterize Bivalve and Gastropod shells from the Gadon coast to evaluate their feasibility as dry learning specimens. This evaluation employed a qualitative, exploratory design, utilizing purposive sampling to assess morphotype feasibility based on four indicators: structural integrity, diagnostic visibility, handling safety, and taxonomic authenticity. The assessment identified 22 species (15 Bivalves and 7 Gastropods) with varying feasibility levels. The feasibility variations demonstrated that thick-shelled specimens safely supported direct tactile observation, whereas spiny morphotypes required transparent resin casting to prevent injury. These findings explicitly present a novel framework for transforming neglected local coastal resources into standardized taxonomic media, effectively overcoming the reliance on scarce museum collections. By integrating conchological characterization with pedagogical safety standards, this research provides biology educators with a practical, replicable protocol to independently develop authentic and safe learning materials
Keywords:
Bivalve Dry specimens Gastropod Intertidal zone Invertebrate systematicsReferences
Anđić, B., Lavicza, Z., Ulbrich, E., Cvjetićanin, S., Petrović, F., & Maričić, M. (2024). Contribution of 3D Modelling and Printing to Learning in Primary Schools: A Case Study with Visually Impaired Students from an Inclusive Biology Classroom. Journal of Biological Education, 58(4), 795–811. https://doi.org/10.1080/00219266.2022.2118352
Beck, C., Butler, A., Silva, K. B. D., & Sundberg, M. (2014). Promoting Inquiry-Based Teaching in Laboratory Courses: Are We Meeting the Grade? CBE-Life Sciences Education, 13(3), 444–452. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.13-12-0245
Bouchet, P., Rocroi, J.-P., Hausdorf, B., Kaim, A., Kano, Y., Nützel, A., Parkhaev, P., Schrödl, M., & Strong, E. E. (2017). Revised Classification, Nomenclator and Typification of Gastropod and Monoplacophoran Families. Malacologia, 61(1–2), 1–526. https://doi.org/10.4002/040.061.0201
C., A. G., Pacheco-Medina, K., Paternina-Ramos, A., Peña-Granados, I., & Rangel-Buitrago, N. (2024). Shell-Bearing Bivalvia and Gastropoda from a Rocky Shore in the Central Caribbean of Colombia. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 208, 117045. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.117045
Carter, J. G., Altaba, C. R., Anderson, L. C., Araujo, R., Biakov, A. S., Bogan, A. E., Campbell, D. C., Campbell, M., Jin-hua, C., Cope, J. C. W., Delvene, G., Dijkstra, H. H., Zong-jie, F., Gardner, R. N., Gavrilova, V. A., Goncharova, I. A., Harries, P. J., Hartman, J. H., Hautmann, M., … Yancey, T. (2011). A Synoptical Classification of the Bivalvia (Mollusca). Paleontological Contributions, 2011(4), 1–47. https://doi.org/10.17161/PC.1808.8287
Chahouri, A., Yacoubi, B., Moukrim, A., & Banaoui, A. (2023). Bivalve Molluscs as Bioindicators of Multiple Stressors in the Marine Environment: Recent Advances. Continental Shelf Research, 264, 105056. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2023.105056
Chen, J., Liu, J., Jiang, C., Wu, Z., Yao, Z., & Bian, C. (2024). Incipient Motion of Single Shells under Currents in Flume Experiments. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 12(5). https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12050820
Daniel, J. A., & Kukor, I. (2024). Evaluation of Elnady Preserved Tissues as a Teaching Aid for Undergraduate Animal Science Courses. Translational Animal Science, 8, txae077. https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txae077
Dominici, S. (2025). The Revolution of Small Snails and the Early Modern Evolutionary Fauna. Diversity, 17(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/d17020120
Gul, S., & Yalinkilic, F. (2025). Teaching of the Subject ‘Biomolecules in Living Organisms’ Using 3D Printing Models. Education and Information Technologies, 30(10), 13213–13248. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-025-13355-5
Hoerl, S., Griesshaber, E., Checa, A. G., & Schmahl, W. W. (2024). The Biological Crystals in Chamid Bivalve Shells: Diversity in Morphology and Crystal Arrangement Pattern. Crystals, 14(7). https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst14070649
Horn, K. M., Fournet, M. E. H., Liautaud, K. A., Morton, L. N., Cyr, A. M., Handley, A. L., Dotterweich, M. M., Anderson, K. N., Zippay, M. L., & Hardy, K. M. (2021). Effects of Intertidal Position on Metabolism and Behavior in the Acorn Barnacle, Balanus glandula. Integrative Organismal Biology, 3(1), obab010. https://doi.org/10.1093/iob/obab010
Ibrahim, I., Rafsanjani, A., Jalaluddin, J., Azwir, A., Aswita, D., & Andalia, N. (2025). Diversity of Mollusca, Arthropods, and Pisces in the Estuarine Areas of Gampong Jawa and Gampong Alue Naga as Implications for the Community Economy. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA, 11(9), 494–502. https://doi.org/10.29303/jppipa.v11i9.12343
Jesús-Carrillo, R. M. D., Ocaña, F. A., & Barba-Macías, E. (2021). Functional Variations of Mollusks Along an Environmental Gradient in a Coastal Lagoon of the Southern Gulf of Mexico. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 44, 101723. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2021.101723
Kim, J. Y., Kim, B.-J., Jin, Y., & Kim, E.-S. (2026). Morphological and Mechanical Characterization of the Limpet Shells from the Korean Intertidal Coast. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 14(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse14020119
Labranche, L., Wilson, T. D., Terrell, M., & Kulesza, R. J. (2022). Learning in Stereo: The Relationship Between Spatial Ability and 3D Digital Anatomy Models. Anatomical Sciences Education, 15(2), 291–303. https://doi.org/10.1002/ase.2057
Lee, H. C., Glasby, C. J., Schulze, A., Raven, H., Tan, S. K., Arai, T., Jin, A. M., Tal’ah, N. N., Zarifi, A., & Marshall, D. J. (2024). Dramatic Enhancement of Macrozoobenthic Species β-Diversity in Response to Artificial Breakwater Construction Along a Tropical Coastline. Diversity, 16(12). https://doi.org/10.3390/d16120742
Li, Y., Tang, Q., Liu, S., Wang, L., Ning, J., Xu, L., Huang, D., & Du, F. (2025). The Diversity and Biogeography of Macrobenthic Fauna in the Rocky Intertidal Zone of Islands in the Pearl River Estuary: Effects of Island Area, Isolation, Salinity and Human Disturbance. Journal of Sea Research, 207, 102618. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seares.2025.102618
Liang, J., Zhao, K., Ma, X., Zang, J., Guo, W., & Zhao, R. (2026). High-Resolution Integrative Delimitation of Intertidal Limpets via Multi-Locus Barcodes and SEM Morphology. Diversity, 18(1), 52. https://doi.org/10.3390/d18010052
Makwarela, T. G., Seoraj-Pillai, N., & Nangammbi, T. C. (2025). Exploring the Molluscan Microbiome: Diversity, Function, and Ecological Implications. Biology, 14(8). https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14081086
Marshall, D. J., Khairul, N., Yahya, N. S., Duraman, N., & Jennings, J. R. (2026). Strong Effects of Sun Exposure on Oyster Shell Corrosion and Compensatory Calcification: A Factor Confounding Coastal Acidification Responses. Oceans, 7(3), 39. https://doi.org/10.3390/oceans7030039
Martínez-Ruiz, O., Riera, R., Tuset, V. M., & Vasconcelos, J. (2025). Coastal Exposure and Artificialization: Drivers of Shell Shape Variation in Intertidal Limpets. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 322, 109344. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2025.109344
Miao, H., Ding, J., Gong, X., Zhao, J., Li, H., Xiong, K., Zhou, X., Liu, W., & Wu, F. (2023). Application of 3D-Printed Pulmonary Segment Specimens in Experimental Teaching of Sectional Anatomy. BMC Surgery, 23(1), 109. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12893-023-02022-6
Nge, S. T. M., Bullu, N. I., & Lusi, N. M. (2023). Diversity of Mollusca Types (Bivalves and Gastropods) on Oesosole Beach as a Source for Learning Biology in Booklet Form. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA, 9(11), 9928–9936. https://doi.org/10.29303/jppipa.v9i11.5155
Potortì, A. G., Messina, L., Licata, P., Gugliandolo, E., Santini, A., & Bella, G. D. (2024). Snail Shell Waste Threat to Sustainability and Circular Economy: Novel Application in Food Industries. Sustainability (Switzerland), 16(2), 706. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16020706
Price, S. A., Larouche, O., Friedman, S. T., Corn, K. A., Wainwright, P. C., & Martinez, C. M. (2020). A CURE for a Major Challenge in Phenomics: A Practical Guide to Implementing a Quantitative Specimen-Based Undergraduate Research Experience. Integrative Organismal Biology, 2(1), obaa004. https://doi.org/10.1093/iob/obaa004
Quiroz-Barroso, S. A., Guerrero-Arenas, R., García-Barrera, P., & Sánchez-Beristain, F. (2024). Mollusca: Bivalvia and Gastropoda. In R. Guerrero-Arenas & E. Jiménez-Hidalgo (Eds.), Past Environments of Mexico: Unveiling the Past Environments of a Megadiverse Country Through Its Fossil Record (pp. 63–97). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-51034-2_4
Randler, C., Ilg, A., & Kern, J. (2005). Cognitive and Emotional Evaluation of an Amphibian Conservation Program for Elementary School Students. The Journal of Environmental Education, 37(1), 43–52. https://doi.org/10.3200/JOEE.37.1.43-52
Renna, J. M., Sondereker, K. B., Cors, C. L., Chaszeyka, S. N., Keenan, K. N., Corigliano, M. R., Milgrom, L. A., Onyak, J. R., Hamad, E. J., & Stabio, M. E. (2024). From 2D Slices to a 3D Model: Training Students in Digital Microanatomy Analysis Techniques Through a 3D Printed Neuron Project. Anatomical Sciences Education, 17(3), 499–505. https://doi.org/10.1002/ase.2396
Simmons, J. E. (2025). Fluid Preservation: A Comprehensive Reference. Bloomsbury Academic. Retrieved from https://digital.casalini.it/9798216366744
Spence, P. L. (2022). Introductory Biology Students Engage in Guided Inquiry: Professional Practice Experiences Develop Their Scientific Process and Experimentation Competencies. In S. M. and A. T. R. Pelaez Nancy J. and Gardner (Ed.), Trends in Teaching Experimentation in the Life Sciences: Putting Research into Practice to Drive Institutional Change (pp. 213–241). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-98592-9_11
Toma, R. B., & Greca, I. M. (2018). The Effect of Integrative STEM Instruction on Elementary Students’ Attitudes Toward Science. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 14(4), 1383–1395. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/83676
Vaquer, A. S., Griesshaber, E., Salas, C., Harper, E. M., Checa, A. G., & Schmahl, W. W. (2025). The Diversity of Crystals, Microstructures and Texture That Form Ostreoidea Shells. Crystals, 15(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15030286
Vasconcelos, J., Sousa, R., Tuset, V. M., & Riera, R. (2020). Island Effect in the Shell Phenotypic Plasticity of an Intertidal Gastropod. Zoology, 141, 125802. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.zool.2020.125802
Vasconcelos, P., Santos, A. C. N., Pereira, F., Moura, P., Carvalho, A. N., & Gaspar, M. B. (2022). Shell Morphology, Morphometric Relationships and Relative Growth of Three Topshell Species (Gastropoda: Trochidae) from the Algarve Coast (Southern Portugal). Thalassas: An International Journal of Marine Sciences, 38(1), 665–674. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41208-021-00351-y
Wang, H., Chen, Z., Tong, Y., Ye, L., & Li, Y. (2025a). The Role of Aquaculture in Shaping the Morphology of Babylonia areolata: A Comparative Study of Cultured and Wild Populations. Biology, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14010039
Wang, S., Wang, Y., Ou, J., Sun, J., Wang, K., Zou, Q., Chen, J., Li, L., Wang, K., & Zhang, S. (2025b). Impacts of Harvesting Activities on the Structure of the Intertidal Macrobenthic Community on Lvhua Island, China. Biology, 14(10). https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14101447
Zardi, G. I., Monsinjon, J. R., Seuront, L., Spilmont, N., McQuaid, C. D., & Nicastro, K. R. (2024). Symbiotic Endolithic Microbes Reduce Host Vulnerability to an Unprecedented Heatwave. Marine Environmental Research, 199, 106622. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106622
Zardus, J. D. (2025). Chapter 23 - Phylum Mollusca: Bivalvia. In M. J. Boyle & C. M. Young (Eds.), Atlas of Marine Invertebrate Larvae (Second Edition) (Second Edition, pp. 599–623). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-102871-1.00024-5
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Yudhistian, Zainul Mustofa, Tabitha Sri Hartati Wulandari
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA, agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY License). This license allows authors to use all articles, data sets, graphics, and appendices in data mining applications, search engines, web sites, blogs, and other platforms by providing an appropriate reference. The journal allows the author(s) to hold the copyright without restrictions and will retain publishing rights without restrictions.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
