Dr Francesco Criscione

Staff Profile
Dr Francesco Criscione profile photo

Key Info

Dr Francesco Criscione developed an interest in marine sea life early in his Sicilian childhood, especially marine snails. These fascinating animals have been his main research focus throughout his university studies in Italy. He earned a PhD for a systematic study of the Mediterranean Rissoidea and continued working on this group of tiny gastropods in Sydney at the Australian Museum (AM), thanks to two consecutive Geddes visiting fellowships and a Malacological Society of Australasia grant. After a post-doc at the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (Paris), he returned to the AM in 2012 to work as a post-doctoral fellow on the systematics of the Australian land snail family Camaenidae in arid and semi-arid Australia.

Since that time, Francesco has received jointly a number of research grants from the Australian Government’s Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS) and Bush Blitz. In 2017, he was awarded an ABRS Research Grant and investigated the systematics and evolution of deep-sea ‘turrid’ gastropods. Francesco was scientific crew member on board the RV Investigator during the two deep-sea voyages off SE Australia. He has performed curation work and produced scientific catalogues of the gastropod material collected during various deep-sea expeditions. He was also a Research Associate at the Australian Museum Research institute (AMRI) and continued to curate the AM deep-sea gastropod collection.

Francesco has been recently awarded a Bush Blitz Taxonomy Research grant for a project on the systematics of the deep-sea trochiform vetigastropods from the Australian Indian Ocean Territories (AIOT). This project and other projects on many other deep-sea invertebrates are the focus of his current position as AMRI’s Deep Sea Fauna Scientific Officer.

Francesco has described nearly 100 species and more than 20 genera of (mainly Australian) gastropods, contributing to the understanding of their evolution and conservation.

Qualifications

  • Laurea in Scienze Biologiche (ind. Biologia Marina) [equiv. to BAdvSc(Hons) + MSc in Marine Biology) – Universita’ degli Studi di Catania (Italy)
  • Dottorato in Biologia Evoluzionistica (PhD in Evolutionary Biology) - Università degli Studi di Catania/ Stazione Zoologica “A. Dohrn” (Italy)

Appointments

  • 2024-present: Scientific Officer (Australian Museum)
  • 2020-2024: Research Associate (Australian Museum)
  • 2012-2020: Scientific Officer (Australian Museum)
  • 2011-2012: Cherchéur (Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris)

Awards

  • 2024 – Bush Blitz Taxonomy research funding id. DNP-BCK-2324-030: The deep-sea trochiform vetigastropods of the Indian Ocean Territories (Principal Investigator).
  • 2017 – ABRS Research Grant no. RF217-57: Into the abyss: systematics and evolution of temperate Australian deep-sea 'turrid' gastropods (Principal Investigator).
  • 2017 – Bush Blitz Tactical Taxonomy Grant (ABRS): A systematic revision of the eastern Australian land snail Austrochloritis (Joint Investigator).
  • 2013–Australian Biological Resources Study: Australia’s Desert Snails: Systematics and Evolution of the Camaenidae in arid Australia (Joint Investigator).
  • 2011–Australian Biological Resources Study: Australia’s land snail hotspot: Evolution and Systematics of the Kimberley Camaenidae (Joint Investigator).
  • 2010–Malacological Society of Australasia: Mollusc Research Grant (Principal Investigator).
  • 2010–Australian Museum: Geddes Visiting Research Fellowship (Principal Investigator).
  • 2009–Australian Museum: Visiting Collection Fellowship (Principal Investigator).

  • CRISCIONE, F., HALLAN, A., 2025. Addressing knowledge gaps in the systematics of temperate south-east Australian deep-sea Raphitomidae (Caenogastropoda: Conoidea): integrative taxonomy of species of less diverse and taxonomically problematic genera. Invertebrate Systematics 39, published online: https://doi.org/10.1071/IS24089.
  • CRISCIONE, F., HALLAN, A., 2024. Integrative taxonomy of Gymnobela and Pontiothauma (Conoidea: Raphitomidae) from Australian waters provides more evidence of transoceanic distribution in deep-sea gastropods. Journal of Natural History 58 (37-40), 1429-1459.
  • CRISCIONE, F., 2024. Catalogue of the Gastropoda (snails, phylum Mollusca) collected by the IN2021_V04 and IN2022_V08 expeditions to the Australian Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands Territories. Museum Victoria Science Reports: 27: 1–56.
  • KANTOR, Y., HALLAN, A., & CRISCIONE, F., 2022. Integrative taxonomy reveals new Australian species of the deep-water snail genera Comispira (Conoidea: Cochlespiridae) and Leucosyrinx (Conoidea: Pseudomelatomidae). Molluscan Research 42(3), 229-247.
  • PONDER, W.F., HUMPHREYS, W.F., SHEA, M.E., DOLMAN, G., & CRISCIONE, F. (2022) Subterranean Tateidae (Gastropoda; Caenogastropoda; Truncatelloidea) from the Ngalia Basin, Northern Territory, Australia. Molluscan Research, 1-23.
  • CRISCIONE, F., HALLAN, A., FEDOSOV, A., & PUILLANDRE, N., 2021. Deep Downunder: Integrative taxonomy of Austrobela, Spergo, Theta and Austrotheta (Gastropoda: Conoidea: Raphitomidae) from the deep sea of Australia. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research. Published online.
  • CRISCIONE, F., HALLAN, A., PUILLANDRE, N., & FEDOSOV, A., 2021. Snails in depth: integrative taxonomy of Famelica, Glaciotomella and Rimosodaphnella (Conoidea: Raphitomidae) from the deep sea of temperate Australia. Invertebrate Systematics 35(8), 940-962.
  • HALLAN, A., CRISCIONE, F., FEDOSOV, A., & PUILLANDRE, N., 2021. Few and far apart: integrative taxonomy of Australian species of Gladiobela and Pagodibela (Conoidea: Raphitomidae) reveals patterns of wide distributions and low abundance. Invertebrate Systematics 35(2), 181-202.
  • CRISCIONE, F., HALLAN, A., PUILLANDRE, N., & FEDOSOV, A., 2021. Where the snails have no name: a molecular phylogeny of Raphitomidae (Neogastropoda: Conoidea) uncovers vast unexplored diversity in the deep seas of temperate southern and eastern Australia. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 191(4), 961-1000.
  • KÖHLER, F., CRISCIONE, F., HALLAN, A., HYMAN, I., & KESSNER, V., 2020. Lessons from Timor: Shells are poor taxonomic indicators in Asperitas land snails (Stylommatophora, Dyakiidae). Zoologica Scripta 49(6), 732-745.
  • KÖHLER, F., CRISCIONE, F., & SHEA, M., 2020. A mitochondrial phylogeny uncovers taxonomic ambiguity and complex phylogeographic patterns in the eastern Australian land snail Austrochloritis (Stylommatophora, Camaenidae). Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 58(4), 1005-1020.
  • O’HARA, T.D., WILLIAMS, A., AHYONG, S.T., ALDERSLADE, P., ALVESTAD, T., BRAY, D., BURGHARDT, I., BUDAEVA, N., CRISCIONE, F., CROWTHER, A.L., EKINS, M., ELÉAUME, M., FARRELLY, C.A., FINN, J.K., GEORGIEVA, M.N., GRAHAM, A., GOMON, M., GOWLETT-HOLMES, K., GUNTON, L.M., HALLAN, A., HOSIE, A.M., HUTCHINGS, P., KISE, H., KÖHLER, F., KONSGRUD, J.A., KUPRIYANOVA, E., LU, C.C., MACKENZIE, M., MAH, C., MACINTOSH, H., MERRIN, K.L., MISKELLY, A., MITCHELL, M.L., MOORE, K., MURRAY, A., O’LOUGHLIN, P.M., PAXTON, H., POGONOSKI, J.J., STAPLES, D., WATSON, J.E., WILSON, R.S., ZHANG, J., & BAX, N.J., 2020. The lower bathyal and abyssal seafloor fauna of eastern Australia. Marine Biodiversity Records 13(1), 11.
  • ZAHARIAS, P., KANTOR, Y.I., FEDOSOV, A.E., CRISCIONE, F., HALLAN, A., KANO, Y., BARDIN, J., & PUILLANDRE, N., 2020. Just the once will not hurt: DNA suggests species lumping over two oceans in deep-sea snails (Cryptogemma). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 190(2), 532-557
  • HALLAN, A., CRISCIONE, F., FEDOSOV, A.E., & PUILLANDRE, N., 2020. Bouchetispira ponderi n. sp. (Conoidea: Bouchetispiridae), a new deep-sea gastropod from temperate Australia. Molluscan Research 40, 86-92.
  • MACINTOSH, H., ALTHAUS, F., WILLIAMS, A., TANNER, J.E., ALDERSLADE, P., AHYONG, S.T., BAX, N., CRISCIONE, F., CROWTHER, A.L., FARRELLY, C.A., FINN, J.K., GOUDIE, L., GOWLETT-HOLMES, K., HOSIE, A.M., KUPRIYANOVA, E., MAH, C., MCCALLUM, A.W., MERRIN, K.L., MISKELLY, A., MITCHELL, M.L., MOLODTSOVA, T., MURRAY, A., O’HARA, T.D., O’LOUGHLIN, P.M., PAXTON, H., REID, A.L., SOROKIN, S.J., STAPLES, D., WALKER-SMITH, G., WHITFIELD, E., & WILSON, R.S., 2018. Invertebrate diversity in the deep Great Australian Bight (200–5000 m). Marine Biodiversity Records 11(1), 23.
  • KÖEHLER, F., CRISCIONE, F., 2018. Taxonomic rectification: Kimberleytrachia leopardus Criscione & Köhler, 2014 is a synonym of K. umbonis (Solem, 1979). Molluscan Research 38, 149-153.
  • CRISCIONE, F., PONDER, W. F., KÖHLER, F., TAKANO, T., KANO, Y., 2016. A molecular phylogeny of Rissoidae (Caenogastropoda: Rissooidea) allows testing the diagnostic utility of morphological traits. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 179, 23-40.
  • KÖHLER, F., CRISCIONE, F., BURGHARDT, I., KESSNER, V., 2016. The Enidae of Timor (Stylommatophora: Orthurethra). Molluscan Research. 37(1), 8–16.
  • CRISCIONE, F., KÖHLER, F., 2016. Phylogenetic systematics of the land snail Basedowena from the Australian arid zone: taxonomic revision with description of new taxa (Stylommatophora: Camaenidae). Invertebrate Systematics 30, 370-386
  • CRISCIONE, F., KÖHLER, F., 2016. Setobaudinia nicolasi - a new species from Baudin Island, Kimberley, Western Australia (Stylommatophora, Camaenidae). Molluscan Research. 36(4), 290–293.
  • CRISCIONE, F., KÖHLER, F., 2016. Snails in the desert: Assessing the mitochondrial and morphological diversity and the influence of aestivation behavior on lineage differentiation in the Australian endemic Granulomelon Iredale, 1933 (Stylommatophora: Camaenidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 94, Part A, 101-112.
  • CRISCIONE, F., KÖHLER, F., 2015. On the land snail Damochlora Iredale, 1938 and its cryptic sibling Nannochlora n. gen. (Stylommatophora: Camaenidae), each endemic to an island in the Western Australian Kimberley. Molluscan Research 35(4), 275-286.
  • KÖHLER, F., CRISCIONE, F., 2015. A molecular phylogeny of camaenid land snails from north-western Australia unravels widespread homoplasy in morphological characters (Gastropoda, Helicoidea). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 83, 44-55.
  • CRISCIONE, F., KÖHLER, F., 2014. Molecular phylogenetics and comparative anatomy of Kimberleytrachia Köhler, 2011–a genus of land snail endemic to the coastal Kimberley, Western Australia with description of new taxa (Gastropoda, Camaenidae). Contributions to Zoology 83, 245-267.
  • CRISCIONE, F., KÖHLER, F., 2014. Molecular phylogeny and taxonomic revision of the genera Baudinella Thiele, 1931, Retroterra Solem, 1985 and Molema Köhler, 2011 endemic to the coastal Kimberley, Western Australia (Gastropoda, Camaenidae). Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 52, 273-284.
  • CRISCIONE, F., KÖHLER, F., 2014. Cardiotrachia and Rachita – two new land snail genera from the East Kimberley, Western Australia (Eupulmonata: Camaenidae). Systematics and Biodiversity 12, 55-64.
  • CRISCIONE, F., KÖHLER, F., 2014. Setocallosa – a new genus and species of land snail from Arnhem Land, Australia (Stylommatophora: Camaenidae). Molluscan Research 35, 65-71.
  • CRISCIONE, F., KÖHLER, F., 2013. More on snails and islands: molecular systematics and taxonomic revision of Setobaudinia Iredale (Gastropoda: Camaenidae) from the Kimberley, Western Australia, with description of new taxa. Invertebrate Systematics 27, 634-654.
  • KÖHLER, F., CRISCIONE, F., 2013. Plio-Pleistocene out-of-Australia dispersal in a camaenid land snail. Journal of Biogeography 40, 1971-1982.
  • KÖHLER, F., CRISCIONE, F., 2013. Small snails in a big place: A radiation in the semi-arid rangelands in northern Australia (Eupulmonata, Camaenidae, Nanotrachia n. gen.). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 169, 103–123.
  • CRISCIONE, F., KÖHLER, F., 2013. Six new species of Australocosmica Köhler, 2011 from the Kimberley islands, Western Australia (Mollusca: Pulmonata: Camaenidae). Zootaxa 3608, 101-115.
  • CRISCIONE, F., KÖHLER, F., 2013. Conserved shell disguises diversity in Mesodontrachia land snails from the Australian Monsoon Tropics (Gastropoda: Camaenidae). Zoologica Scripta 42, 389-405.
  • CRISCIONE, F., PONDER, W.F., 2013. A phylogenetic analysis of rissooidean and cingulopsoidean families (Gastropoda: Caenogastropoda). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 66, 1075-1082.
  • KÖHLER, F., CRISCIONE, F., 2013. Arnhemtrachia ramingining - a new genus and species of land snail from Arnhem Land, Australia (Stylommatophora: Camaenidae). Molluscan Research 33, 110-115.
  • CRISCIONE, F., LAW, M.L., KÖHLER, F., 2012. Land snail diversity in the monsoon tropics of Northern Australia: revision of the genus Exiligada Iredale, 1939 (Mollusca: Pulmonata: Camaenidae), with description of 13 new species. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 166, 689-722.
  • CRISCIONE, F., PONDER, W.F., 2011. A review of the Recent Australian species of Merelina Iredale, 1915 (Caenogastropoda: Rissoidae). Molluscan Research 31, 65-84.
  • SCUDERI D., CRISCIONE F., 2011. Cima apicisbelli Rolan, 2003 (Gastropoda: Cimidae): new immigrant to the Mediterranean or indigenous species? Iberus 29(1), 1-7.
  • SCUDERI D., CRISCIONE F., 2011. New ecological and taxonomical data on some Ptenoglossa (Mollusca, Caenogastropoda) from the Gulf of Catania (Ionian Sea). Biodiversity Journal 2(1), 35-48.
  • CRISCIONE, F., PATTI, F.P., 2010. Similar shells are not necessarily a reliable guide to phylogeny: Rissoa guerinii Recluz, 1843, and Rissoa lia (Monterosato, 1884) (Caenogastropoda: Rissoidae): a case study. Nautilus 124, 117-128.
  • CRISCIONE, F., SCUDERI, D., PATTI, F.P., 2009. Revising alpha-taxonomy in shelled gastropods: the case of Rissoa panhormensis Verduin, 1985 (Caenogastropoda: Rissoidae). Nautilus 123, 303-312.