The majority of the Earths oceans and seas are interconnected. However, land masses, ocean currents, water temperatures, and differences in salinity act as barriers for most marine mollusks. While some species may exist all over the world, some are restricted to certain regional habitats called Provinces. Malacologists (those who study mollusks) have classified the regions of the world based on the above-mentioned factors.
1. Arctic - The areas around the North Pole
2. Boreal – North Atlantic Ocean from Canada to the North Sea off Norway
3. Aleutian – North Pacific Ocean from Russia to Alaska
4. Lusitanian – Atlantic Ocean from France to North Africa and all of the Mediterranean.
5. Celtic – North Atlantic Ocean from Great Britain through the North Sea and Baltic Sea to the Gulf of Bothnia.
6. Carolinian – Atlantic Ocean from New England to North Florida and North Florida to Texas in the Gulf of Mexico
7. Oregonian – Pacific Ocean from Southwest Canada to Northern California
8. Californian – Pacific Ocean from Northern California to Baja California
9. Japonic – The Isles of Japan
10. Indo-Pacific – The Indian Ocean from East Africa through the East Indies to Polynesia in the South Pacific Ocean.
11. Panamic – Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of California to northern Ecuador in South America
12. Caribbean – Centered in the West Indies it extends north to southern Florida and Bermuda and south to Brazil.
13. Senegalese – Atlantic Ocean from the West coast of central Africa to northern South Africa.
14. South African – The South African Coast
15. Australian – The South Australian Coast
16. New Zealand – The Isles of New Zealand
17. Peruvian – Pacific Ocean from Ecuador to Chile
18. Argentinian – Atlantic Ocean from Central Brazil to Southern Argentina
19. Magellanic - From Pacific Ocean of Chile around Cape Horn to South Coast of Argentina in Atlantic Ocean.
20. Antarctic – The region around Antarctica
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