Phylum Mollusca

chitons, clams, snails, slugs, octopi, cuttlefish, squid, & nautili

second largest phylum (50,000+ species) well known fossil record marine, fresh water, and terrestrial

General Characteristics
mostly bilateral symmetry
unsegmented

eucoelomates; protostomes
great size variation great diversity & adaptive radiation

Body Plan
cephalization muscular foot; modified as tentacles in cephalopods mantle- surrounding the viscera; shell secretion & jet propulsion calcareous shell: protection & support; nacreous layer & periostracum

radula: feeding in herbivorous species

gills: respiration & filter feeding

Radula

Snail Radula

Ctenidia- Gr. comb

Physiology/Development
open circulatory system except cephalopods; hemocoel excretion: metanephridia nervous system- ganglion external & internal fertilization

Class Polyplacophora: chitons

800 species marine inhabit rocky intertidal zone dorsoventrally flattened overlapping dorsal shell plates herbivores w/ radula

Polyplacophora chitons

Chiton Anatomy

Class Aplacophora

Aplacophora- Diagnostic Features

small, vermiform
deep marine no shell; calcareous spines many burrowing or on cnidarians

Monoplacophora

Monoplacophora- continued
all deep marine single, unhinged, cap-shaped shell 3-6 ctenidia

ancestor possibly gave rise to other molluscs

Class Gastropoda
largest taxonomic class 30,000 extant species

snails, nudibranchs, sea hares, and slugs

marine, freshwater, and terrestrial shell often asymmetrical spiral

columella

Cone Shells

C. Gastropoda; S.C. Pulmonata

A. heart B. penis D. dart sac E. sperm duct F. oviduct H. digestive gland I. Stomach J. crop K. esophagus L. buccal bulb

nudibranchs/sea hares

Veliger Larvae

Class Bivalvia
clams, scallops, oysters, and mussels filter feeding

mantle secretes a shell of CaCO3

periostracum, prismatic, & nacreous layers

Clam Anatomy
muscular foot intestine gonad hemocoel mantle gills excurrent/incurrent apertures

Muscular Foot

clam glochidia

Class Scaphopoda
Tusk Shells
openings at both ends captacula- adhesive feeding tentacles

Class Cephalopoda
octopods, squid, cuttlefish, & Nautilus ~ 600 species; entirely marine

highly motile- jet propulsion

highly developed nervous system and sensory shell reduced or entirely absent in octopods; 5-6 Nautilus possess shells

Reproduction/Development
dioecious
internal fertilization; spermatophore no larval phase

female often broods the eggs before dying

chromatophores

Nautilus

Giant Squid (Architeuthis)