Mattheus Marinus Schepman
Mattheus Marinus Schepman was a Dutch malacologist. He was one of the foremost collectors of mollusc shells in the Netherlands, and was also high on the overall list of European collectors.
Dutch collectors developed an interest in natural history specimens that were collected on worldwide expeditions since the 16th century. An interest in conchology led to numerous shell publications. In 1934 the Nederlandse Malacologische Vereniging was founded. In commemoration of its 75th anniversary, a book honoring in detail the work of Mattheus Schepman was published.
His research
Schepman was both a collector and a methodical scientist, which combination "made his collection of great value to the entire malacological community." He was given the opportunity to study a collection by Max Carl Wilhelm Weber, Director of the Zoölogisch Museum Amsterdam. Many of the specimens he studied and collected were gathered by the Siboga Expedition. The expedition went to the Indo-Malaysian Archipelago and investigated 322 sites.Schepman's most significant work is reported in "The Prosobranchia of the Siboga expedition". HM Siboga was the transport ship for the eponymous "Siboga Expedition". Published over five years and consisting of 494 pages, it covers 212 genera and 1,467 species. Eduard von Martens was involved in mollusk identification from the first expedition, and he "probably recommended Schepman for the work on the second." In any event, Schepman published seven volumes which described 2,500 specimens, and 1,235 shelled mollusc species, "many new to science."
An important aspect of his work was his scientific collection of shells, a collection which was almost unprecedented in scope and breadth. Eventually sold in 1920 to the Zoological Museum Amsterdam for ƒ7,205, the collection consisted of 9,000 species and 1,250 genera of shelled freshwater, marine, and land molluscs.
Published works
Schepman wrote over 62 malacological works. They include:- Horst R. & Schepman M. M.. . Tome XIII. Leiden.
- Schepman M. M. & Nierstrasz H. F.. . Stuttgart.
- Schepman M. M.. . Uitkomsten op zoologisch, botanisch, oceanografisch en geologisch gebied verzameld in Nederlandsch Oost-Indië 1899–1900 aan boord H. M. Siboga, Monographie, E. J. Brill, Leyden, 49a: 107 pp., 9 plates.
- Schepman M. M.. . 49b: 108–231, 7 plates.
- Schepman M. M.. . 49c: 233–246, 1 plate.
- Schepman M. M. & Nierstrasz H. F.. . 49: 1–28, 2 plates.
- Schepman M. M.. . 49d: 247–364, 7 plates.
- Schepman M. M.. 49e: 365–452, 6 plates.
- Schepman M. M.. 49f: 453–494, 2 plates.
Taxa
Schepman originally described about 450 taxa, including many turrids. Examples of the numerous taxa he named and described are in the following list :
Families
Freshwater and marine cave snails:- Neritiliidae Schepman, 1908
Genera
- Guttula Schepman, 1908
- Pseudococculina Schepman, 1908
- Clavosurcula Schepman, 1913
- Daphnellopsis Schepman, 1913
- Meloscaphander Schepman, 1913
- Volvulopsis Schepman, 1913
Species
- Amphidromus reflexilahris Schepman
- Helicarion sumatrensis Schepman, 1886
- Asperitas bimaensis
- Dyakia densestriata Schepman, 1896
- Hemiplecta butikkoferi Schepman, 1896
- Euplecta costellifera Schepman, 1918
- Euplecta imperforata Schepman, 1918
- Macrochlamys imperforata Schepman, 1918
- Sitala crenocarinata Schepman, 1918
- Planispira planissima Schepman, 1918
- Cyclotus subcanaliculatus Schepman, 1918
- Parmarion goedhuisi Schepman, 1896
- Microparmarion litteratus Schepman, 1896
- Hemicarion semicalcareus Schepman, 1896
- Melania subplicata Schepman, 1886
- Melania snellemanni Schepman, 1886
- Bellamya liberiana
- Potadoma buttikoferi
- Potadoma liberiensis
- Melania glandiformis Schepman, 1896
- Melania schwaneri Schepman, 1896
- Brotia borneensis
- Melania mülleri Schepman, 1896
- Melania subpunctata Schepman, 1896
- Neritina ''subocellata Schepman, 1884 - a synonym of Clithon diadema
- Melania subcostellaris Schepman, 1918
- Melania sentaniensis Schepman, 1918
- Melania kampeni Schepman, 1918
- Hyridella misoolensis
- Schepmania nieuwenhuisi
- Nausitora hedleyi Schepman, 1919 – brackish water species
1870s and 1890s
- Entemnotrochus rumphii
- Nassarius javanus
- Oliva semmelinki Schepman, 1891
- Ergalatax martensi
- Astralium provisorium
- Oliva dubia Schepman, 1904
- Oliva rufofulgurata Schepman, 1904
- Cerithium claviforme Schepman, 1907
- Cerithium koperbergi Schepman, 1907
- Nassarius celebensis
- Notadusta martini
- Anatoma exquisita
- Anatoma maxima
- Ancistrobasis monodon
- Bathyfautor multispinosus
- Bathymophila callomphala
- Calliostoma crassicostatum Schepman, 1908
- Calliostoma quadricolor Schepman, 1908
- Calliostoma rufomaculatum Schepman, 1908
- Calliostoma simplex Schepman, 1908
- Calliostoma virgo Schepman, 1908
- Calliotropis bicarinata
- Calliotropis calcarata
- Calliotropis concavospira
- Calliotropis limbifera
- Calliotropis multisquamosa
- Calliotropis muricata
- Calliotropis pagodiformis
- Calliotropis pulchra
- Calliotropis spinulosa
- Danilia weberi Schepman, 1908
- Emarginella sibogae
- Emarginula foveolata Schepman, 1908
- Guttula sibogae Schepman, 1908
- Hadroconus sibogae
- Herpetopoma ringens
- Pectinodonta alta Schepman, 1908
- Pectinodonta orientalis Schepman, 1908
- Perrinia cancellata
- Perrinia nigromaculata
- Perrinia plicifera
- Perrinia squamicarinata
- Phenacolepas radiata Schepman, 1908
- Pseudococculina granulata Schepman, 1908
- Pseudococculina rugosoplicata Schepman, 1908
- Solariella ornatissima
- Tibatrochus incertus
- Tugalina plana
File:Primovula roseomaculata.jpg|thumb|In the center of this image is a well-camouflaged live individual of Primovula roseomaculata, described and named by Schepman in 1909. Head end towards the top of the image; the red mantle is covering the shell entirely.