Phylum Mollusca

Mollis- soft
Soft bodied animals
Solitary animals
Shell (calcium carbonate)
Open circulatory system

Univalve or snail shell

-

One piece structure

Gills: Respiration
Generalized gill consist of:
-

Bivalves or clam shells

-

Multiple structures (plates of chiton)

Most are free-living

In gastropods, cephalods and

bivalves, the hypostracum may be
nacreous (pearly).
Mantle skirt- peripheral outfold of
the mantle.

The body is divided into a small poorly

defined head.
Visceral mass- large dorsal, holds the bulk
of the digestive, reproductive, excretory, and
respiratory systems.

Central axis- attached to the mantle

along one edge, contains muscles,
blood vessels and nerves.
Gill filaments- leaflike, opposites of
the axis.
Each filament has an upstream
frontal margin and a downstream
abfrontal margin on the opposite
side.
Bipectinate- primitive gills.
Monopectinate- filaments on only
one side of the axis, (pectin=comb)

Foot- broad, flat, muscular.

Radula- rapslike, used to graze on the
biofilm of microscopic algae and other small
sessile animals.

Interfilamentary water spaces- separates

the filaments to their neighbors.

Mantle (pallium), secretes protein calcium

salts and mucus is also sensory.

Inhalant (infrabranchial)
(suprabranchial). Chambers

Shell low, conical cap covering the

dorsum of the generalized mollusk

Lamellae- exposed gill surfaces formed by

the combined edges of the filaments.

Spacious retreat,
Mantle epithelium secretes protein
and calcareous material to form the
shell.

Gills divided:
&

exhalant

Frontal lamella & abfrontal lamella.

Periostracumoutermost
layer,
composed of the protein conchiolin.

Ostratum- calcareous and inside is the

hypostracum (inner)

Cilia on the filaments generate a

water current that enters the mantle
cavity ventrally.
Lateral
ciliagenerates
the
respiratory current through the
mantle cavity.
Frontal cilia- generate a current
moving away from the gill axis,
transports particles trapped in mucus

off the frontal lamella and keeps the

gills surface clean. Pseudofeces
Abfrontal
ciliapseudofeces.

transporting

the

Hypobranchial glands mucus-secreting

epithelium.

Protostyle- mucus and embedded

fecal mass. Helps pull the mucous
string through the esophagus into the
stomach.

Coelom- skeleton

Pericardial cavity and gonocoelcontains the heart and gonad.

Afferent branchial vessel - unoxygenated

blood.

INTERNAL TRANSPORT:

Efferent branchial vessel- oxygenated

blood.

Osphradia- receptor cells monitoring the

water entering the mantle cavity. Water
sensory.

EXCRETION: heart-kidney complex

Foot: flat, muscular, ciliated creepsole.

Pedal hemocoel- blood sinus

Pedal retractor muscles

NUTRITION: microphagous browseruses its radula to scrape microscopic algae.

Odontophore- supports the radula (odonto=
tooth. Phore= to carry). Cartilage like.
Radula sac- ventral evagination of the floor
of the buccal cavity.

Stomach=
pear-shaped
sac
(digestive ceca) - absorption and
phagocytosis.
Gastric shield- protects the stomach
gastrodermis from abrasion whereas
the sorting field separates the
indigestible mineral particles from
nutritious organic particles.
Intestinal grooves: ciliated major
and minor typhosoles.

Renopericardial canal- connection

with the pericardial cavity.
Podocytes- filtration.

NERVOUS SYSTEM:

Radula- flexible, longitudinal ribbon of

transverse rows of tiny chitinous teeth.
Protractor & retractor muscles- moves the
odontophore and radula.

Hemal system- lacks cellular lining.

Open circulatory system.

Ganglion- consist of a cortex of cell

bodies and a medulla of axons
known as the neutrophil.
Cerebral ganglia- brain, sensory
nerves from the eyes, tentacle, and
statocysts.
Linked by: buccal ganglia (muscles
of the radula), pedal ganglia (foot
muscles), pleural ganglia (innervate
the mantle).
Commissure- connects the ganglia to
any other pair.
Esophageal ganglia- supply the gills,
osphradium and mantle.
Tetraneurons- four nerve cords.

Cephalic
sensory.

tentacles-

chemo,mecha,

REPRODUCTION: gonochoric
DEVELOPMENT: spiral,
cleavage.

Trochopore larva

holoblastic

The developing blastula bears the

characteristic molluscan cross of
cells.
Prototorch- conspicuous preoral
girdle of cilia, swimming organ, also
for collecting food.
Metatorch- second girdle of cilia,
posterior to the mouth.
Telotorch- third ring.
Pygidium- region consisting of the
telotorch and the area around the
anus.
Growth zone- lies between the
mouth and the telotorch.

SC: Chaetodermomorpha: oral shield,

foot lost. (Epimenia, chaetoderma,
epitemia,
falcidens,
limifossor,
scutopus).
C: Polyplacophora (many plates)
-

Mantle: covers the entire dorsal

surface of a chiton and secretes a
thin glycoprotein cuticle.

Planktotrophic- long lives, feed on tiny

suspended particles, living or dead.
Lecithotrophic- depend on yolk, short
life.

Velum- two lateral ciliated lobes.

Develops into a prototroch.

C: Aplacophora- wormlike marine molluscs.

-

Presence of calcareous
instead of a shell.

Girdle lateral portion of the mantle,

peripheral to the valves.
Shell:
-

spicules

Form spicule rather that shell.

Locomotion- ciliated
Foot lies on the pedal groove which
is lined cuticle.
Hemal system : open

Nervous system ladder like, pair of

cerebral ganglia.
Pedal pit- ciliated, mucus-secreting,
sensory function.
Oral shield- surrounds the mouth.
SC: Neomeniomorpha gills lost,
copulation, carnivore (euletheromenia,
lyratoherpia, neomenia)

Chitons or coat of mail mollucs.

Life adhering to rocks and shells.
Shell composed of eight overlapping
plates, which permits flexibility.
Lacks cephalic eyes.
Foot broad and flat.

Shell valves
Insertion plate- wing like
Articulamentum purely calcareous
layer that lies under the tegmentum
in the center of the valve but extends
laterally free of the tegmentum to
form the insertion plates.
Hypostracum second calcareous
layer.

LOCOMOTION: enrollment muscles (ball)

Mantle cavity & ventilation:

Each mantle cavity contains multiple

gills.
Inhalant aperture
Respiratory current- generated by the
gill cilia.

Nutrition:

Microphagus browsers that feed on

fine algae and other organisms.

Some are macroherbivores that feed

on seaweeds.
Magnetite- iron containing mineral.
Subradular
saca
smaller
envagination, contains the tonguelike, chemosensory subradular organ.
Esophageal glands- produce amylase
Anterior intestine & posterior
intestine (fecal pellets are found).

Nervous system:
-

Ganglia absent.
Tetranous ladderlike.
Circumentric ring

Esthetes- unique to chitons, consist of

groups of epidermal cells specialized for
sensory reception and support.
Reproduction: Gonochoric
C: Monoplacophora
-

Single bilaterally symmetrical shell

that varies in shape from a flattened
shieldlike plate to a short cone.
Feed on hard substances.
Weakly developed cerebral ganglia

C: Gastropoda
-

Snails and slugs

Torsion- 180 degrees counterclockwise

rotation or twisting of the visceral mass,
shell, mantle and mantle cavity.

Anus directly in the head.

Detorsion- 90 degrees
Conispiral- each whorl partially or
completely overlaps and encloses the
preceding whorl.

One layer covers the other.

Planispiral- old
Sanitation: anal pores
Siphon- selectively in choosing the
source of respiratory water.
Ancestral gastropod
-

Diotocardian heart.
Monotocardian
Nervous system:
(twisted)
Hypoathroid.

streptoneurons

Shell:
Columella- hollow cone coiled around the
central axis, holds everything together.
Aperture- large opening (outer&inner lip)

Torsion- 180 degrees counterclockwise

rotation of the visceral mass with respect
to the foot.

Body whorl- base of the cone.

Whorls- forming a spiral around the

center node.

Original shell= protoconch

Shell= planispiral- each coil is located

outside.

Columellar muscle- same as the pedal

retractor muscle

Exogastrically coiled- direction of the

coiling is anterior over the head.

Operculum- horny disk

Endogastric coiling- posterior to the

foot.

Spire- remaining whorls.

Adult- teloconch

Siphonal canal- accommodate the siphon.

Inner shell consist of calcium

carbonate crystals.
Nacreous layer- crystals are discshaped arranged in sheets.

Foot & Locomotion:

-

No large blood sinus

Tarsos muscle- sole of the foot,
composed of very fine muscle
bundles.
Propodium
Mesopodium
Metapodium
Feet=waves

Locomotion
-

Monotaxic waves- extend across the

entire width.
Ditaxic- half only.
Direct waves
Retrograde opposite

Nutrition & Digestion:

-

Jaws
Accessory salivary glands may be
modified as venom glands
Median tooth
Filter feeding

Reproduction:
-

Gonochoric
Veliger larvae

Nervous system:
-

Higher:
-

Taenioglossate (taenio=band)
Rachiglossate (rachio=spine)

Carnivores:
-

Proboscis

Zyngoneury- functional bilateral symmetry.

Rhinopores- sensory head tentacles.

C: Cephalopoda
-

Carnivores
Hooks or spines
Cuttlefish (10-12 rings of tentacles)

Form:
-

Siphon- moving
Appendages- tentacles
Visceral hump- conical posterior
cone.

Buoyancy- calcium carbonate, gas in

shell, ammonia.
Endocochleate- characterized
reduced internal shell.
Ectocochleatewell
calcareous external shell.
-

Ospharadia- water sensory.

-

Endocochleate:

developed

Nautillus- with permanent external

shell
Argonautes- temporary shell (eggs)
Siphuncle- strand of tissue enclosed
in a delicate calcareous tube,
Osmotic pump to remove liquid from
the chambers and replace it with gas.
Sutures

Archaeogastropods:
Radula is docoglossate (speartongue)
Some are rhipidioglossate (fan) each
row has an abundance of teeth.
Gastric cecum.

by

Phragmocone used for buoyancy

control

Rostrum- enclosed the phragmocone

and supports it
Proostracum- skeleton for miscle
attachment.

SO: sepiida- cuttlefish

-

Cuttlebone
Ink sac

Open circulatory system

Pelcypoda (hatchet foot)
Clams
2 halves (bivalvia)
Shell- calcium carbonate
Filter feeder
Benthic (attached)

O: Teuthoidea: squid

Mantle- covers the

dorsally, mantle skirts.

Inner fold: pallial(mantle),

Chitinous pen(gladius)

Appendages:
-

Eight arms
Suckers- stalked,
muscular.

cup

shaped,

Digestive system:
-

Beak- ventral jaws.

Cecum- absorptive pouch

Internal transport
-

Endothelium
Systemic heart

Nervous system:
Cranium compact and complex brain

Chromatophores- consisting of a central

pigment cells, colors.
Reproduction:
organ.

C: Bivalvia

hectocotylus-

intromittent

visceral

mass