Rodrigues (2022)

We had visited this remote island in the Indian Ocean in 2002 for the first time. While Mauritius has turned an ecological nightmare, Rodrigues, situated 650 km to the east, has retained its beauty. Even the endemic Tropidophora snails, long extinct in Mauritius, have survived to this day. We examined the beaches and snorkled in the lagoon. Among the discoveries we made there is a considerable range extension for Bistolida piae, hitherto known from St Brandon, and Cribrarula cribellum. How did this species get here? No clue. Molecular analysis might help answer this question. This method has revealed also the validity of the endamic Haliotis rodriguezensis. In the beachgrit, we discovered three new species of Marginellidae.