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<HTML > <HEAD> <META http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10 (filtered)"> <style>  </style> </HEAD> <BODY lang=EN-AU link=blue vlink=purple> <DIV> <div class=Section1> The Mediterranean fan worm (Sabella spallanzanii) is a well-known introduction via shipping to many ports and harbours in southern Australia (and also to the Canary Islands, Indonesia and Brazil). However, when first discovered, Sabella spallanzanii probably only occurred in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic coast of northern Europe. The species was named after an Italian naturalist Lazzaro Spallanzani, well-known in his day and a widely travelled priest and professor of natural history. Among other achievements Lazzaro Spallanzani disproved the notion that microscopic organisms could spontaneous generate, anticipating by 100 years the work of Louis Pasteur. It has been a minor nuisance to taxonomists that the original (type) specimen used to describe Sabella spallanzanii is lost, however the remains Lazzaro Spallanzani have had greater longevity: a recent issue of Nature reported that the anatomy collection of the University History Museum in Pavia displays the bladder of Lazzaro Spallanzani ! Those with a macabre interest in body parts will have to visit Pavia in northern Italy to view the remains of Professor Spallanzani, but there is a good chance that the worm named after him can be found living on a pier near you (if you live in southern Australia, at least).   Have a nice day everyone,   Robin   Robin Wilson Sciences Department Museum Victoria GPO Box 666E Melbourne Vic 3001 AUSTRALIA   phone +61 3 8341 7429 fax        +61 3 8341 7442 email   <a href="mailto:rwilson@museum.vic.gov.au">rwilson@museum.vic.gov.au</a>   </div> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><IMG ALT="" HSPACE="0" SRC="http://www.museum.vic.gov.au/images/mv.jpg" ALIGN="middle" BORDER="0"></DIV> <A HREF="http://museumvictoria.com.au/">museumvictoria.com.au</A> This e-mail is solely for the named addressee and may be confidential.You should only read, disclose, transmit, copy, distribute, act in relianceon or commercialise the contents if you are authorised to do so. If you are not the intended recipient of this e-mail, please notify <A HREF="mailto:npostmaster@museum.vic.gov.au">postmaster@museum.vic.gov.au</A> by e-mail immediately, or notify the sender and then destroy any copy of this message. Views expressed in this e-mailare those of the individual sender, except where specifically stated to be those of an officer of Museum Victoria. Museum Victoria does not represent,warrant or guarantee that the integrity of this communication has been maintained nor that it is free from errors, virus or interference. </BODY></HTML>

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