Giant tun, Tonna galea, belongs to the Tonnidae family. It may grow up to 30 cm so it is one of the largest snails of the Adriatic. This species' shell is barrel-shaped, it is very big and relatively fragile. The shell has 6-7 fdsa spirals, with 20-22 spiral rings which are wider than midspace, making the last spiral largest by far. Aperture is wide, channel is short and outer lip is serrated. It doesn't have an operculum. Coloring of the shell is dark yellowish with dark apex. It lives alone or in small groups on soft and sedimentary or muddy beds, in depths up to 10 to 150 m. It feeds of echinoderms and other mollusks. From the salivary gland it excretes asparat and 2-4% sulphur acid with which it disoloves prey’s shell. Time of reproduction is from VII-X month. It is distributed in Indo-Pacific, eastern Atlantic, as well as throughout the entire Mediterranean and the Adriatic Sea. In the Adriatic it inhabits littoral areas up to 5 nautical miles from the coast. It is very rare in the northern Adriatic. Most populated habitats of this species were recorded in central Dalmatian canals and bays. Because of its attractive look and its size it is often overfished and sold as a souvenir. Therefore, in recent years, its population is being reduced. Since 1994 Giant tun has been legally proclaimed a strictly protected species.

Shell of a cylindrical shape, elongated and resembling a date. Up to 12 cm long. Brava is without teeth. Shells have thin concentric and radial stripes. Color of the shell is dark yellow; whitish-bluish on the inside. Inhabiting canals whose diameter is widening as the shell grows. It erodes carbonated rock and it can dig into the surface for more than 1 cm a year, depending on the type of the surface. It can live up to 80 years. This shell reproduces in spring and summer. Larvae can be found in planktonic until the summer. It is an important species of the carbonated surface in all communities of the upper infralittoral edge up to the depths of 10 m. It is common in the Adriatic. One of the most esteemed species of bivalves, whose populations are depleting due to excessive fishing. Because of that it is strictly protected species by law.

Snail’s shell is spindle-shaped; its aperture is relatively narrow and rather elongated. Outer lip is strong and it’s not serrated; columella has 4 folds. It doesn’t have an operculum. Shell is yellowish-brown; lower half of the last coil is brown and it spirally winds around the entire shell all the way up to the apex. It is up to 20 cm long. The snail inhabits solid and fds seabeds of open seas, in coralligenic biocenosis and biocenosis of littoral detric beds. It is a Mediterranean endemic, distributed along the eastern coast of the Adriatic, from Cavtat to Rovinj, however it is a rare species. Since 1994 it has been legally proclaimed a strictly protected species.

Four single shells of bivalves Rhomboidella prideauxi (Leach, 1815) (Mytilidae) have been gathered by F. Velkovrh in the area of Kornati islands. It is the first finding of this species in the eastern part of the Adriatic Sea. Earlier, this species has been recorded in the Mediterranean Sea and in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Rhomboidella inhabits shady and moveable seabeds (gravel and detric beds), from flux and reflux zone and deeper.

Shells are elongated and oval in form, up to 12 cm long. Outer surface of shells is rough and has concentric stripes and toothed ridges all over its surface. Shells are white-yellowish on the outside and whitish on the inside. It inhabits rocky seabeds, drills canals on carbonated base, mud and wood. Canals are widening as the shells grow.

The shell with triangular-fan like shells and mildly protruded central ridge. It is up to 120 cm long and the largest bivalve of the Adriatic. Its scales are fragile, breakable, outer surface is circularly serrated with longitudinal ribs which carry numerous spiny scales. In older specimens scales and ridges are not very noticeable. Inside of the shell is nacreous and two uneven prints of the closing muscle are clearly seen. Dsf without teeth. Outer side of shell is light –gray-brown, while on the inside it is light brown. It lives with frontal part buried in the sediment. It is distributed in sandy beds, up to 3 m deep, especially in seagrasses meadows. It reproduces during the summer. Famous symbiont with a Noble pen is crab Pinnotheres pinnotheres. It is a Mediterranean endemic. It is widely distributed throughout the entire Adriatic from 2 to 30 m deep. Due to feeding and the use of its shells as a souvenir it is a very endangered species. In Croatia it is protected since 1977 and since 2005 it has been legally proclaimed as a strictly protected national heritage.

Pacific pen shell is somewhat smaller than the Noble pen shell. The shell is relatively smooth with a few radially distributed ridges. It is almost without prickly scales and without the central ridge. Back/dorsal edge of the scales is more cut off. Inside of the shell is nacreous and it is not divided on two halves. It lives on deeper dsf seabeds below 25 m. It is embedded in the sediment up to the half of its length. Since 2005 it is it has been legally proclaimed as a strictly protected national heritage.

Cephalopod Thysanoteuthis rhombus Troschel, 1857, is a large nektonic species widely distributed in tropical and subtropical seas (Nigmatullin and Arkhipkin, 1998).It belongs to the suborder Oegopsida, family Thysanoteuthidae (Felley et al., 2001). It lives in monogamous couples up to a year. For the Mediterranean, it was for the first time described in the Mesina bay by Troschel in 1857 (Felley et al., 2001). The most numerous populations have been recorded in the waters of Japan (Nishimura, 1966) where numerous fishermen live from this species (Roper et al., 1984). Specimen of the species Thysanoteuthis rhombus Troschel, 1857, has been caught offshore the island of Dolfin (44°41’N - 14°41’E), in the eastern part of the Northern Adriatic. This species was caught by panula on the depth of 10 m. It weighted 1272 g with the dorsal fin 346 mm long. This is the first finding of this species for the Adriatic, as well as the northern most finding for the Mediterranean.

Small locust lobster, Scyllarus arctus is a species of decapod crustaceans whose area of distribution is from eastern Atlantic to Mediterranean Sea, including the Adriatic Sea. It inhabits rocky substrate and meadows of seagrass Posidonia oceanica from 3 to 50 m deep. Small locus lobster may grow up to 16 cm, although specimens from 5-10 cm long are more common. It is reddish-brown in color, with dark brown spots along the body. Its pereipods have dark blue rings. This species is on the prey list of many seabed fish species. Small locust lobster is a protected species.

The European crayfish, Astacus astacus is a freshwater crayfish species. They live in unpolluted streams, rivers and lakes. The species is found throughout the entire European continent. In Croatia, we find it in continental regions. Male specimens may grow up to 16 cm and female ones up to 12 cm long. European crayfish is a nocturnal animal and feeds on worms, their larvae, mollusks, plants, etc. During the day they hide in burrows under rocks. They become sexually mature after 3-4 years. Fertilized eggs are carried by females on their pleopods, until they hatch platonic larvae of young crayfishes. At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century the entire population of the European crayfish in Europe was stricken by the epidemic of fungal disease which dramatically decreased their stocks. At the same time, Oronectes limosus species, which is resilient to fungus, was imported from America as a substitute for our species, unknowing at the time that it spread the fungus and in that way, caused even more damage to autochthonous population. On the “IUCN Red List of Threatened Species” Astacus astacus has a status of a vulnerable species. In Croatia, the European crayfish is a strictly protected species.

Common lobster, Homarus gammarus, is our largest species among the Decapoda crustaceans. This species is distributed from eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean over Mediterranean Sea, all the way to the Black Sea. It inhabits sea depths up to 150 m, however it usually stays on rocky seabed up to 50 m deep. Common lobster is nocturnal hunter, solitary and a very territorial species. During the day it can be found hidden in holes or crevices. Females carry eggs throughout the year. Young specimens are hatched as planktonic larvae that burrow into sediment after three weeks where they spend the next 2 years. At a length of approximately 15 cm they leave sediment for crevices on rocky seabeds. Sexual maturity is reached after 4-5 years of age. They feed on other crabs, mollusks, echinoderms, but they also catch smaller fish species. The biggest lobster caught weighted 19 kg and was 1,26 m long. The usual length of this species is around 40 cm and they weight approx. 0,7 kg. Homarus gammarus is a protected species and its catch is regulated by the Law on sea fishery.

Twoclaw shrimp, Brachycarpus biunguiculatus, is a cosmopolitan species of circum tropical distribution. Its first finding in the Adriatic Sea was recorded in 2001 offshore the Cutin islands. This species is small and it doesn’t grow more than 30 mm long. It is a nocturnal animal, which hides among rocks and seagrass during the day. It can be found on the depths from 0-46 m.

Spiny spider crab, Maja squinado, is our largest species of Decapoda, Brachiura group. Its habitat spreads from northern Atlantic to the Mediterranean Sea. In the Adriatic Sea, we find it along our entire coast. It inhabits rocky seabeds and sedimentary beds during the winter. It feeds on various groups of organisms; generally with algae and mollusks in winter, while numerous species of echinoderms dominate its feeding in summer. Spiny spider crab is commercially attractive species and because of that its fishing is regulated by the Law on sea fishery. This species is protected in Croatia.

Mediterranean slipper lobster, Scyllarides latus, is the largest of three species of Scyllaridae family present in the Adriatic. Mediterranean slipper lobster is distributed from Eastern Atlantic, over Mediterranean Sea to our Adriatic Sea. It can be found from 4 to 100 m deep, on rocky and sedimentary seabeds. It usually feeds on mollusks. The biggest measured body size was 45 cm, although it generally doesn't grow more than 30 cm. It is very rare and therefore not financially lucrative.

Common lobster, Homarus gammarus, is our largest species among the Decapoda crustaceans. This species is distributed from eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean over Mediterranean Sea, all the way to the Black Sea. It inhabits sea depths up to 150 m, however it usually stays on rocky seabed up to 50 m deep. Common lobster is nocturnal hunter, solitary and a very territorial species. During the day it can be found hidden in holes or crevices. Females carry eggs throughout the year. Young specimens are hatched as planktonic larvae that burrow into sediment after three weeks where they spend the next 2 years. At a length of approximately 15 cm they leave sediment for crevices on rocky seabeds. Sexual maturity is reached after 4-5 years of age. They feed on other crabs, mollusks, echinoderms, but they also catch smaller fish species. The biggest lobster caught weighted 19 kg and was 1,26 m long. The usual length of this species is around 40 cm and they weight approx. 0,7 kg. Homarus gammarus is a protected species and its catch is regulated by the Law on sea fishery.

White-clawed crayfish, Austropotamobius pallipes, is an endangered species of freshwater crayfish which is found from southern to western Europe, including the British Isles. In Croatia, it is found in southern and south-western parts, as well as on some islands. The species may grow up to 12 cm. It inhabits our streams and lakes, where it hides between rocks and catches its prey. The reason for the endangerment of this species lies in anthropogenic settlement of the Pacifastacus leniusculus species which is resistant to fungal disease of freshwater crayfish and which spreads it on the population of autochthonous species which don’t have the same resistance. Just like the entire population of freshwater crayfish, this species is also very sensitive to pollution. Because of that, population of freshwater crayfish is in decline and was therefore declared rare and vulnerable species according to the Bern Convention. In Croatia, this species is strictly protected.

Featherstar shrimp, Hippolyte prideauxiana, is of Atlantic - Mediterranean distribution. Its first finding in the Adriatic Sea was recorded in 2001 offshore in the vicinity of Rijeka. The species is of characteristic white-red stripe coloring with the length of no more than 30 mm. In the Adriatic, it was found on sea lily species Antedon mediteranea. In the Atlantic it is found in commensalisms with Antedon bifida species. It inhabits depths up to 60 m.

In the Natural History Museum Rijeka there are types (one holotype and 10 paratypes) based on which the species Gobius kolombatovici Kovacic & Miller, 2000 has been described (catalogue numbers 642, 635, 636, 637, 638, 639, 640, 641). Yet another paratype of this species is being held in the Natural History Museum in London. Description of this new fish species was published by Marcelo Kovacic and Peter James Miller in 2000 in the magazine „Cybium“of the French Ichthyological Society. Newly described fish species was named Gobius kolombatovici in honor of our prominent natural historian, Professor Juraj Kolombatovic (1843-1908). In the research of fishes, he represents a significant name in European dimensions. As for his work, the most notable one is a paper on goby fishes from the Split area from 1891, in which, among other information, he describes 6 new species and subspecies of this family. Specimens which were collected by Kolombatovic and stored in the Natural History Museum in Vienna have been used in numerous papers of European ichthyologists in the past 100 years. Kolombatovic’s Goby, Gobius kolombatovici, is 10-12 cm big fish, belonging to the Gobiidae family. It has a characteristic coloring, longitudinally arranged big orange speckles with black spot on the first back fin. So far, it was found on only four localities during 1998 near the eastern coast of the island of Krk. It lives in the depths of 15 to 38 m, on the river bottoms consisting of detritus sand and fine gravel and stones, usually near the base of steep underwater cliffs. Biology of this species is still widely unknown, as it is the case for the most rarely collected species of Mediterranean gobies, most of which were described as early as the 19th century. This species belongs to the Gobiidae family, one of the three most numerous fish families, as far as the number of species is concerned. So far, approximately 2 000 species of this family has been recorded, while the number of described ones is constantly increasing. Generally, they live in sea or brackish waters, less often in freshwaters. They usually live on littoral beds in warm and moderately warm seas, a small number of species ventures in deeper or colder sees. Gobies are small fishes, and a few of the tropical species are one of the world smallest fishes or even smallest vertebrates.

In the Natural History Museum Rijeka there are types (one holotype and 2 paratypes) based on which the species Knipowitschia radovici Kovacic, 2005 (catalogue numbers 1 211, 1 212, 1 213) has been described. Types of this species are not kept anywhere else in the world. The adult female specimen has not been captured yet, so we only have adult male and juvenile specimens. Description of the new species was published by Marcelo Kovacic in 2005 in the „Cybium“magazine of the French Ichthylogical Society. Newly described fish species was named Knipowitschia radovici as gesture of gratitude towards colleague ornithologist, Dragan Radovic, who initiated and supported the research of freshwater gobies near the Adriatic coast. Radovic's goby, Knipowitschia radovici, is a very small fish, less than 4 cm long; it belongs to the Gobiidae family. Coloring, which consists out of speckles distributed over its body, varies in detail between adult males and juvenile specimens of this species. So far, the species has only been found in River Norin, a tributary to Neretva River. Adult specimens have been found in the deepest parts (5,5 m) of the river in fast stream on gravel bottoms which becomes miry on the edge of the main stream. Juvenile specimens were gathered in the shallow part of the river, among vegetation. Biology of this species is still unknown. This species belongs to the Gobiidae family, one of the three most numerous fish families, as far as the number of species is concerned. So far, approximately 2 000 species of this family has been recorded, while the number of described ones is constantly increasing. Generally, they live in sea or brackish waters, less often in freshwaters. They usually live on littoral beds in warm and moderately warm seas, a small number of species ventures in deeper or colder sees. Gobies are small fishes, and a few of the tropical species are one of the world smallest fishes or even smallest vertebrates.

In the Natural History Museum Rijeka there is a type (one paratype) based on which the species Neogobius rizensis Kovacic & Engin 2008 (catalogue number 1 456) has been described. Holotype and three more paratypes of this species are held in the Faculty of Fisheries, Karadeniz Technical University. Description of new fish species was published by Marcelo Kovacic and Semih Engin in 2008 in the magazine „Cybium“ of the French Ichthyological Society. Newly described species was named after the city in northeastern Turkey, in whose vicinity the described species were gathered. Goby from Rize, Neogobius rizensis, is up to 12 cm long fish, belonging to the Gobiidae family. It is brown with dark speckles distributed over its body. So far it has been found only in Iyidere stream. Freshwater species live in fast stream which is descending over steep mountain cliffs towards the sea. Biology of this species is still unknown. This species belongs to the Gobiidae family, one of the three most numerous fish families, as far as the number of species is concerned. So far, approximately 2 000 species of this family has been recorded, while the number of described ones is constantly increasing. Generally, they live in sea or brackish waters, less often in freshwaters. They usually live on littoral beds in warm and moderately warm seas, a small number of species ventures in deeper or colder sees. Gobies are small fishes, and a few of the tropical species are one of the world smallest fishes or even smallest vertebrates.

In the Natural History Museum Rijeka there is a type (one paratype) based on which the species Neogobius turani Kovacic & Engin 2008 (catalogue number 1457) was described. Holotype and one more paratype of this species are held in the Faculty of Fisheries, Karadeniz Technical University. Description of the new species of fish was published by Marcelo Kovacic and Semih Engin in 2008 in the magazine „Cybium“of the French Ichthyological Society. Newly described species was named Neogobius turani as a gesture of gratitude towards colleague ichthyologist, Dravut Turan, who helped in the research of fresh water gobies near the Black Sea coast. Turan's goby, Neogobius turani, is up to 11 cm long fish, belonging to the Gobiidae family. It is dark purple with light speckles distributed over the body. So far, it has been found only in stream Aksu, near the town of Giresun. This fresh water species lives in fast stream which is descending over steep mountain cliffs towards the sea. Biology of this species is still unknown. The species belongs to the Gobiidae family, one of the three most numerous fish families, as far as the number of species is concerned. So far, approximately 2 000 species of this family has been recorded, while the number of described ones is constantly increasing. Generally, they live in sea or brackish waters, less often in freshwaters. They usually live on littoral beds in warm and moderately warm seas, a small number of species ventures in deeper or colder sees. Gobies are small fishes, and a few of the tropical species are one of the world smallest fishes or even smallest vertebrates.

One of the most astounding cephalopods is the Paper nautilus also known as argonaut. It lives in pelagic habitats of the subtropics and tropics. Pelagic habitats are those of the free ocean water away from the bottom, especially at the water surface. Though the argonaut is called Paper nautilus, it is neither made out of paper nor is it a nautilus. The argonaut's shell is special among all mollusks. It is only built by the female, and only as case for the protection of the argonaut's eggs, that are placed inside in long threads. The female argonaut lives in the shell's entry and guards the eggs, until the young hatch. At the ends of the first tentacle pair the argonaut (argonauts like other octopus relatives have eight tentacles) has got wide sail-like flaps. Usually the female argonaut holds these flaps spread over the shell, but they also serve to catch prey that swims into them. The male argonaut is much smaller than the female. While the latter reaches a size of up to 10 cm, the shell being up to 45 cm large, the male only reaches less than 2 cm in size. The male argonaut is special because of its altered third tentacle that is kept in a pouch until it is needed. Just like in other cephalopods, this tentacle is called the hectocotylus. The male argonaut, unlike its larger relatives, often leaves it's hectocotylus behind, so the findings of it are in fact its own marking. This suggests that the male argonaut dies after copulation, as no argonauts with regrown hectocotyli have been found so far. Generally, living argonauts are difficult to find, possibly because of their pelagic way of life. More often, their shells are deposed on the shore by the sea. That way they also find their way as items in numerous collections. The scientific name of the Paper nautilus, especially the largest species, Argonauta argo, derives from Greek mythology. The Argonauts were a group of Greek heroes that, led by Iason, traveled to Kolchis to gain the Golden Fleece from its king. They were called that way, because their ship was called the “Argo”. In Greek argonaut means "Argo sailors". The argonaut's discoverers probably mistook its sail-like flaps as a locomotive organ and thus drew the similarity to the mythical Argo.This rare species was caught in Senjska vrata passage and it is displayed in the Malacological collection of the Natural History Museum Rijeka. Because of the symbolism of the structure and the function of female argounauts, protecting eggs in the shell and eight elongated tentacles, it symbolizes the activities of the NHMR as an institution which protects natural heritage and whose fields of activities encompass researching, analyzing, collecting, protecting, publishing and marketing or natural history material and nature in general. Since 1995, stylized drawing of the female Argonaut is a recognizable logo of the Natural History Museum Rijeka.

In the Natural History Museum Rijeka there are types (4 paratypes) based on which the species Knipowitschia montenegrina Kovacic & Sanda 2007 (catalogue number 1 600) has been described. Holotype and four more paratypes of this species are being kept in the National Museum in Prague. Description of this fish species was published by Marcelo Kovacic and Radek Sanda in 2007 in the «Journal of the National Museum (Prague)" magazine. Newly described fish species was named after the country in which it was discovered – Monte Negro. Montenegrin goby, Knipowitschia montenegrina, is a very small fish, less than 4 cm long, belonging to the Gobiidae family. Coloring, pale speckles spread over their bodies, differentiate in detail male and female specimens of this species. So far, it has been found only in River Moraca. It lives on the bed of shallow and slow river parts, on gravel, somewhere covered in fine layer or nitrate algae. Biology of this species is still unknown. This species belongs to the Gobiidae family, one of the three most numerous fish families, as far as the number of species is concerned. So far, approximately 2 000 species of this family has been recorded, while the number of described ones is constantly increasing. Generally, they live in sea or brackish waters, less often in freshwaters. They usually live on littoral beds in warm and moderately warm seas, a small number of species ventures in deeper or colder sees. Gobies are small fishes, and a few of the tropical species are one of the world smallest fishes or even smallest vertebrates.

In the Natural History Museum Rijeka there are types (one holotype and one paratype) based on which the species Cobitis jadovaensis Mustafic et al., 2008 (catalogue numbers 1654, 1655) has been described. The rest of the paratypes are being held in the Faculty of Science in Zagreb. Description of this species was published by Perica Mustafic et al. in 2008 in the magazine „Folia Zoologica“. Newly described fish species got the scientific name Cobitis jadovaensis after Jadova River in Lika region in which it was discovered. This species from Jadove mala is up to 10 cm long fish with slander elongated body. Its body is dominated by rows of horizontal speckles. The fish only lives in this river, isolated stream in Lika. It is interesting that, during the summer, the river runs dry, so this species probably survives by moving to underground waters. Biology of this species is still unknown. The species belongs to the Cobitidae family. So far, approximately 180 species of this family are known, while the number of described species is constantly increasing. Cobitidae are fresh-water bottom fish species, generally hidden on the bottom.

This violet was found around 1786 in the Karavanke Mts. by famous Slovenian botanist K. Zoys (1756–1799) who sent it to his botanist mentor F. K. Wulfenu (1810–1885) in the town of Celovec. The mentor recognized this plant as a new species and named it after its finder. Its big yellow flowers have five petals, four of which are turned upwards and the fifth downwards, which is a characteristic of pansies, plants mostly distributed throughout the Mediterranean. Zois’ Violet is a plant of unusual distribution. Although it was first discovered and recognized as a new species in Slovenia, this plant’s center of distribution is as far as in Bosnia-Herzegovinian, Montenegrin and Albanian mountains. It feels at home in rockeries and slow and moist screes on carbonated surface in subalpine and alpine belts. In herbarium of the Natural History Museum Rijeka there are specimens from the Mt. Vranice in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Kitaibel’s Primula is and an endemic of western and central Dinarides, from Klek to Velebit in Croatia on the north-west of Visocica and Valez in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the south-east. It grows in crevices of carbonated rocks and rocky shelves in Upper Mountain and sub alpine belt. This particularly decorative plant is sticky due to glandular hairs on leaves and stem. It blossoms in May and June. In the herbarium of Natural History Museum Rijeka there are samples from Mt. Cvrsnica in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

For a long while, Tara Canyon has been recognized by botanists for its floristic particularities. In rock crevices of the deep canyon, mountain plants from the Durmitor tops meet the thermophilous ones from the canyon’s bottom, so the flower arrangements that are created in such way are quite bizarre plant-geographical wise. In geological past, these wild and deep Dinaric canyons served as glacial refuge to numerous living beings that have survived the harsh climate of the Ice Age periods. One of such plants is considered to be Glisic’s Bellflower with very unusual big azure flowers. We have found it on classical finding site below Curevac mountain top, in highly inaccessible rock crevices above the Tara Canyon, where it was found in 1937 by Montenegrin botanist Vilotije Blecic (1911-1981). It grows on rather limited space of the lower stream of river Tara, downstream from Đurđevic Tara till the Susica Canyon in Durmitor and it is one of the finest endemics of the Tara canyon.

Istrian Bell grows in rock crevices of littoral cliffs from eastern Istria across Kvarner seaside and islands to northern and central Velebit and all the way to Jablanac. Therefore, we placed it into northern Adriatic endemic species. All of its parts are more or less felt-like hairy, that being its distinguishing characteristic from its very close relative C. fenestrellata Feer ssp. Fenestrellata. Herbarium of the Natural History Museum Rijeka holds samples gathered in rock crevices from Velike Brisnice on the northern Velebit Mts. It blossoms in May and June. Between Velebit and Kotor, couple of morphologically similar bell flowers, which are phylogenetically affined to Istrian Bell: the already mentioned C. fenestrellata Feer ssp. Fenestrellata, as well as C. portenschlagiana (C. portenschlagiana Schultes in Roemer & Schultes), and finally, from the other side of the Adriatic sea, on Monte Gargano, the C. garganica Ten, which suggests the existence of ancient land connections between the Balkan and the Apennine Peninsula.

When botanists try to establish differences between plant species in the area of the Balkan Peninsula, one of the problems they encounter is polymorphism of plants – the same plant species may look different on different localities. This is especially true of bellflowers (Edraianthus genus) which include approximately 13 species, although botanists still haven’t agreed upon the exact number. These are mostly rare and narrowly distributed plants. The highest number of bellflower species is found on the Dinarides, while the real center of biodiversity of this genus is on the mountains Biokovo in Croatia and Mts. Maglic and Durmitor in Monte Negro. Interesting population with spade-shaped and toothed rosette leaves has been found by botanists on Durmitor, mostly in rock crevices. Just recently, Slovenian and Serbian botanists realized that it is a new species and they named it after Montenegrin botanist Vukic Pulevic (1938-) and its holotype (specimen based on which this species has been described as new for science) is held in the herbarium of the Natural History Museum Rijeka.

This smilax is a perennial shrubby herbaceous plant with short nodular root. Its stems are numerous, upright, simple, 5-15 (-20) cm tall, slander, slim with 2-4 (-5) leaves. Both stem and leaves are wooly felt-like hairy. Each flower head consist out of hermaphrodite flowers in the center and female flowers on its brim. Flowers are yellow. It is in bloom from July till August. Pichler’s smilax is a plant of shadowed crevices of carbonated rocks of sub alpine and alpine belts. It is distributed in Dinarides of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Monte Negro, as well as in Mts. Prokletije. In the herbarium of the Natural History Museum Rijeka there are samples from Albania and Monte Negro. Endemic to Central and SE Dinaric Mountains.

Aquilegia dinarica has been recognized as new species in Herzegovina Mountains Cvrsnica and Velezi by Austrian botanist G. Beck (1856-1931). It grows on crevices of carbonated rocks, although it can also be found in vegetation of carbonated semi-settled and settled screes in Alt montane and Sub alpine belts. In the herbarium of the Natural History Museum Rijeka there are samples from Troglav above the Livanjsko polje field and Parun in Albanian Prokletije, from furthermost northwest and southeast area of this extremely decorative plant. In northwestern Dinarides we find Aquilegia dinarica similar to A. kitaibelii which is relatively common from Obruc above Rijeka all the way to Velebit Mts. Endemic to Central and SE Dinaric Mountains.

Iganzij Dörfler (1866-1950) was a passionate Austrian botanist who, in 1941, joined a commission for the demarcation of boarder between Monte Negro and Albania. On this occasion, he also gathered vast and valuable herbarium material, most of which has been unknown to botanical public at the time. One of such plants was butterbur, for which Austrian botanist A. Hayek (1871-1928) established that it is a new species and he named it in the honor of its finder. Dörfler’s butterbur is a rare plant and an endemic of Albanian Prokletije mountain range. It grows on high green and moist screes on carbonated grounds above the upper forest boarder. In herbarium collection of the Natural History Museum Rijeka there are samples from Albania.

Balthazar Hacquet (1739-1815), a French doctor and a famous botanist, was a passionate natural historian. During one of his adventurous travels across Dinaric Mountains in 1781 on Grobnicko polje field he found an interesting plant which did not belong to none of the known species so at the time. He described it for science with a graphic in his famous work Plantae alpinae Carniolicae. Nailwort is the only example of its genus in the Dinaric region. Of a special interest are its transparent and glimmering bacteria because of which the plant has a picturesque appearance. It usually grows on desolate surfaces of the highest tops in the close vicinity of sea shores. Loc. class. on Grobnik polje plain. In herbarium of the Natural History Museum Rijeka there are samples from mountain massive of Zelengora in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This spurge was found for the first time as late as in 1981 in Croatia

Wulfenia is one of the most interesting genera of European flora which includes three species. Famous botanist N.J. Jacquin (1727-1817) named the plant after another notable botanist who discovered it in Karnian Alps as early as in 1779, Jesuit F. K. Wulfen (1810-1885). Distinct inner and outer structure of Wulfenia suggests phylogenic age, therefore marking this genus a possible tertiary relict which survived climate hardships of Ice Age. This plant can rarely be found in nature. Apart from Karnian Alps on the boarder of Italy and Austria, it also grows in wild mountains Prokletije on the boarder crossing between Monte Negro, Albania and Kosovo. It is best adapted of tall-herbs, in Pinus mugo and Pinus pauce forests in the upper montane and sub alpine belt, regardless of geological base, while, in the herbarium of the Natural History Museum Rijeka, there are samples from Monte Negro, Albania and from Kosovo.

Here how the German botanist F. Markgraf (1897-1987) from Berlin, one of the best experts on Albanian flora, described his adventure in Albania and discovery of Wulfenia baldaccii, one of the most notable plants of the Albanian Prokletije’s flora: (Markgraf, F. 1930 In albaniens Bergen. Verlag von Strecker und Schröder in Stuttgart, Stuttgart, pg. 235): «... Der nächste Morgen sollte entscheiden, ob ich die Wulfenia Baldaccii zu sehen bekäme. Er begann mit dem Frühtrunk: Milch mit Schnee! Ein Nationalgetränk dieser Gegend, auf das sich der Gendarm schon lange gefreut hatte, und das seinen Verdauungsapparat für den Rest unserer Wanderung ausser Gefecht setzte. Dann ging es hinauf auf den Pass Qaf e Shtogut. Alle fünf Gewehre wurden zum unserem Schutz aufgeboten. Eins trug ein junger Mann, der eben erst waffenfähig geworden war. Um diesen waren alle sehr besorgt; als er einmal zurückblieb, wurde sofort gewartet, bis man sein Singen hörte. Er war auch der Eifrigste von allen. Der Pass ist sehr gestreckt und ergibt noch keineswegs einen Einblick in das Kirital;... An diesen Engpässen nun, die also die Trichterwand durchschneiden, erhalten sich senkrechte Felswände, und in deren Ritzen wuchs massenhaft die eersehnte Pflanze! Zwar blühte sie nicht mehr, aber trotzdem übertrug sich meine Begeisterung auf tie Hirten, die ihr mit Recht ein Nationalheiligtum von Shkreli erblickten...» Although without armed escort, we have also climbed the Qafa e Shtogut crossing on Parun and, unlike Markgraf, we have found this beautiful plant, an endemic of Albanian Prokletije, in bloom. On that crossing, above the beech forest, the plant is not rare. For the first time it was found here in 1897 by A. Baldacci (1867-1950), an excellent Italian botanist and one of the pioneers of flora research of Monte Negro and Albania. He brought it to famous Hungarian botanist A. Degenu (1866-1934), an author of monumental work «Flora Velebitica», who named it in the honor of its finder. During the last couple of years we have found this plant on two more localities in Albanian Prokletije: on Shtegu e Dhenvet and Mshitel notches, so in the herbarium of the Natural History Museum Rijeka we hold three herbarium sheets of this interesting as an Endemic to Albanian Prokletije Mountains.

Botanical itinerary of Josipa Pancic (1814–1888) in Monte Negro is really striking. Itinerary itself and a catalogue of collected plants was presented to the botanical public in his work Elechnus plantarum vascularum, which has to be at hand to every botanist interested in Dinaric plants. On his travels, Pancic encountered, among other plants, a whole number of plants which were unknown to botanists at the time. One of such plants was Prokletije’s Valerian which he found in 1873 on Komovi in Monte Negro. The plant grows on carbonated screes in sub alpine and alpine belts, on locations on which snow remains for a long time. In the herbarium of the Natural History Museum Rijeka there are specimens gathered on the highest mountain top of Prokletije: Maja e Jezerces (2694 m).

We always imagine willows as tall trees. However, some mountain species are something completely different: diminutive and pressed near the surface, often with underground stem, because of which only leaves protrude from the surface on which they grow. Blunt-Leaved Willows adapted to extreme ecological conditions which dominate their habitats. This mountain willow is usual species in mountain regions of Europe. In the Dinaric Mts. it is common in sub alpine and alpine belt where it grows on habitats exposed to strong wings and colds. Highest mountain tops of north western Dinarides are too low, so it does not occur there. You will find it in deep and cold sink-holes of Liburnian Karst, where the snow remains until late spring or even in the summer, although it is rarely found even there. In the herbarium of the Natural History Museum Rijeka there are specimens from Mt. Sneznik in Slovenia and Mt. Maglic on the boarder of Monte Negro and Bosnia and Herzegovina.