What is the literal meaning of Mollusca?
soft-bodied
Mollusca, meaning “soft-bodied,” is one of the largest phylums in the animal kingdom. The word mollusc (or mollusk) derives from the Latin word “mollis,” which means “soft.” There are an estimated 200,000 species of mollusk worldwide accounting for nearly a quarter of all marine life.
Does Mollusca mean soft body?
Mollusk, also spelled mollusc, any soft-bodied invertebrate of the phylum Mollusca, usually wholly or partly enclosed in a calcium carbonate shell secreted by a soft mantle covering the body.
Where does the name Mollusca come from?
The words mollusc and mollusk are both derived from the French mollusque, which originated from the Latin molluscus, from mollis, soft.
What makes Mollusca special?
Despite their amazing diversity, all molluscs share some unique characteristics that define their body plan. The body has a head, a foot and a visceral mass. This is all covered with a mantle (also known as a pallium) that typically secretes the shell.
Does Mollusca have body cavity?
Both molluscs and annelids probably evolved from free-living flatworms. But molluscs have developed a true coelom, an internal body cavity enclosed by mesodermal membranes. The coelom in molluscs, however, is strangely reduced to a small space around the heart, sometimes called a hemocoel.
What is the literal meaning of Arthropoda?
those with jointed feet
arthropod Add to list Share. An arthropod is an animal with no internal spine, a body made of joined segments, and a hard covering, like a shell. The Modern Latin root is Arthropoda, which is also the name of the animals’ phylum, and which means “those with jointed feet.”
What do you mean by Coelenterate?
noun. any invertebrate animal of the phylum Coelenterata, including the hydras, jellyfishes, sea anemones, and corals, characterized by a single internal cavity serving for digestion, excretion, and other functions and having tentacles on the oral end. Compare cnidarian.
Do starfish have body cavities?
They have an external skeleton and decentralized nervous system, and their eyes are placed on the end of each arm. But like us, they have a body cavity filled with organs, and it is through the body cavity that the tag moves before it reaches the tip of an arm, the researchers conclude.
Do starfish have a segmented body?
Type of Coelom: Animals in phylum echinodermata are Coelomates. Type of Body Plan: Their body has no segmentation but this doesn’t mean it doesn’t have repetition. For example, though a starfish is not segmented, it still contains the same organs in every appendage.
Where did the term Mollusca come from?
Why are they called gastropods?
Snails and slugs are known as gastropods, which mean ‘stomach foot’. This describes the way in which the body and internal organs of slugs and snails has been twisted back so that the stomach lies above the large fleshy foot of these animals.
Which is the best definition of a mollusk?
or mol·lusc. any invertebrate of the phylum Mollusca, typically having a calcareous shell of one, two, or more pieces that wholly or partly enclose the soft, unsegmented body, including the chitons, snails, bivalves, squids, and octopuses.
How did the word Mollusca get its name?
1797, from Modern Latin mollusca, chosen by Linnaeus as the name of an invertebrate order (1758), from neuter plural of Latin molluscus “thin-shelled,” from mollis “soft” (see melt (v.)).
What do you mean by tub of Mollusca?
Very soon afterwards a mollusca had been captured, and placed in a tub filled with sea water. They are covered with large quantities of mollusca, which are also abundant in the sea in their vicinity. Gould states that this Cape “has Hitler proved a barrier to the migrations of many species of Mollusca .”
How many species of molluscs are there in the world?
Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals. The members are known as molluscs or mollusks (/ˈmɒləsk/). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is estimated between 60,000 and 100,000 additional species.
What are the important characteristics of Mollusca?
- One of the characteristics of mollusca is having a soft body and is protected by a hard shell that is bilaterally symmetrical.
- tissues and organs.
- Body without cavity.
- Body possesses a through gut with mouth and anus.
What animals are in the Mollusca?
Phylum Mollusca (Mollusks): With Examples. Phylum Mollusca, known as mollusks, are a group of invertebrate animals that include slugs, snails, mussels, octopus, bivalves, gastropods, etc.
Do Mollusca have a common name?
Scientific Name: Mollusca (Caudofoveates, Solanogastres, Chitons, Monoplacophorans, Scaphopods, Bivalves, Gastropods, Cephalopods) Common Name: Mollusks or molluscs; Basic Animal Group: Invertebrate Size: Microscopic to 45 feet in length; Weight: Up to 1,650 pounds; Lifespan: Hours to centuries-the oldest is known to have lived over 500 years
What are facts about mollusks?
Facts About Mollusks. Mollusks are interesting creatures that are found almost in all kinds of weathers with or without shells. Snails, squids, shellfish and their relatives belong to the mollusk group. Mollusks are soft-bodied invertebrates that have shells to protect them.
