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By the end of this section, you will be able to:
  • Describe the unique anatomical features of mollusks
  • Describe the features of an animal classified in phylum Annelida

The mollusks are a diverse group (85,000 described species) of mostly marine species. They have a variety of forms, ranging from large predatory squid and octopus, some of which show a high degree of intelligence, to small grazing forms with elaborately sculpted and colored shells. The annelids traditionally include the oligochaetes, which include the earthworms and leeches, the polychaetes, which are a marine group, and two other smaller classes.

The phyla Mollusca and Annelida belong to a clade called the Lophotrochozoa    , which also includes the phylum Nemertea, or ribbon worms ( [link] ). They are distinct from the Ecdysozoa (nematodes and arthropods) based on evidence from analysis of their DNA, which has changed our views of the relationships among invertebrates.

Phylum mollusca

Mollusca    is the predominant phylum in marine environments, where it is estimated that 23 percent of all known marine species belong to this phylum. It is the second most diverse phylum of animals with over 75,000 described species. The name “mollusca” signifies a soft body, as the earliest descriptions of mollusks came from observations of unshelled, soft-bodied cuttlefish (squid relatives). Although mollusk body forms vary, they share key characteristics, such as a ventral, muscular foot that is typically used for locomotion; the visceral mass, which contains most of the internal organs of the animal; and a dorsal mantle, which is a flap of tissue over the visceral mass that creates a space called the mantle cavity. The mantle may or may not secrete a shell of calcium carbonate. In addition, many mollusks have a scraping structure at the mouth, called a radula    ( [link] ).

The muscular foot varies in shape and function, depending on the type of mollusk (described below in the section on mollusk diversity). It is a retractable as well as extendable organ, used for locomotion and anchorage. Mollusks are eucoelomates, but the coelomic cavity is restricted to a cavity around the heart in adult animals. The mantle cavity, formed inside the mantle    , develops independently of the coelomic cavity. It is a multi-purpose space, housing the gills, the anus, organs for sensing food particles in the water, and an outlet for gametes. Most mollusks have an open circulatory system with a heart that circulates the hemolymph in open spaces around the organs. The octopuses and squid are an exception to this and have a closed circulatory system with two hearts that move blood through the gills and a third, systemic heart that pumps blood through the rest of the body.

Art connection

The illustration shows a cross-section of a snail. The body of the snail is called the visceral mass. The mouth leads to the stomach and intestines, which are located dorsally in the visceral mass, and then to the anus, which opens into the cavity inside the mantle at the front of the shell. A digestive gland connects to the stomach. Two nerve cords wrap around the esophagus and extend back along the bottom of the animal. The heart is located near the stomach, and is connected to the gill in the front mantle cavity. The coelom is near the heart and gills. The visceral mass is surrounded by a mantle. A shell covers the mantle.
There are many species and variations of mollusks; the gastropod mollusk anatomy is shown here, which shares many characteristics common with other groups.

Which of the following statements about the anatomy of a mollusk is false?

  1. Mollusks have a radula for scraping food.
  2. Mollusks have ventral nerve cords.
  3. The tissue beneath the shell is called the mantle.
  4. The mantle cavity contains hemolymph.

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Source:  OpenStax, University of georgia concepts of biology. OpenStax CNX. May 28, 2013 Download for free at https://legacy.cnx.org/content/col11526/1.2
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