You might be familiar with this famous painting by Johannes Vermeer called "Girl with a Pearl Earring." Do you realize that mollusks played a big role in this painting? First, the subject of the painting is wearing a pearl that was created by a mollusk, probably an oyster. Second, the ink used to paint the painting came from another type of mollusk called a cuttlefish.
You don't have to look at a fancy painting to see mollusks. They're all around you. Look at some gardens and you might see some common mollusks like a snail or a slug. Go out to eat at an Italian or seafood restaurant and you will see mollusks on the menu--oysters, clams, scallops, squid, maybe even some top-of-the line snails.
Mollusca refers to the animal phylum that includes the mollusks, which are the second most abundant invertebrates in the world. Examples of mollusks include snails, slugs, squids, octopuses, oysters, clams, and scallops.
Mollusks are more complex than placozoans, poriferans, cnidarians, and rotifers. Mollusks are symmetrical and have body tissue. Which of the animals listed above lack symmetry and body tissue? Think about the answer, then click "Show Me" to see if you are correct.
Placozoans and poriferans are asymmetrical and do not have body tissue.
Take a look at the video below to see how mollusks play a significant role in the lives of humans.
Mollusks are an important part of life here on earth. They provide pearls for jewelry and
they provide ink for writing and art …
and they provide a tasty source of food.
But, they are not all good! Sometimes they can wreak havoc on a vegetable garden, chewing away at the leaves of crops.
And a few species can sting or bite and have even been deadly to humans.
Though they represent both good and bad, there are anywhere between 50 and 120 thousand species of mollusk—they certainly cannot be ignored!
Define Mollusca. Think of the answer, then click "Show Me" to see if you are correct.
Phylum Mollusca includes mollusks, the world's second most abundant invertebrates--snails, slugs, oysters, clams, squids, and oysters.
Question
Mollusks include snails, slugs, oysters, clams, octopuses, and squids. What are some things all these animals have in common?
