phylum mollusca for study of science this is a part of 9 phylum

phylum mollusca are the animals that have soft bodies.

1. PHYLUM MOLLUSCA

2. Mollusks are the largest marine phylum, comprising about 23% of all the named marine organisms. Defined as the phylum of invertebrates characterized by a soft unsegmented body, often protected by a shell, which includes organisms such as oysters, snails, slugs, squid and octopuses 2

3. Classification of Mollusca Aplacophora or Solenogastres- “naked molluscs, lack of shell and worm-like cylindrical bodies. Monoplacophora- deep sea limprits, “bearing one plate” Polyplacophora -”chitons”, many plate bearing Gastropoda- snails and stugs Scaphopoda - tusk shells or tooth shells Pelecypoda - class bivalvia Cephalopoda - squid, octopuses, and cuttlefish, literally means “head – foot” 3

4. Mollusca Characteristics Body Plan 4 Helix pomatia

5. 5 Pectinidae: Argopecten irradians

6. 6 Fissidentalium   metivieri  

7. 7 Reproduction Reproduction in phylum Mollusca is predominantly sexual, though the processes vary significantly across its diverse classes. Most mollusks have separate sexes (dioecious), but hermaphroditism, where individuals have both male and female reproductive organs, is also common, particularly in gastropods. 

8. 8

9. 9 Habitat Marine: The majority of molluscs are marine, living in oceans from shallow coastlines to the abyssal zone. They can be found on rocky, sandy, and muddy seabeds , where they may burrow, crawl, or attach themselves to surfaces. Examples include clams, oysters, and many species of snails. Freshwater: Some molluscs , like certain bivalves and gastropods, have adapted to live in freshwater bodies such as rivers, lakes, and streams. Terrestrial: Thousands of gastropod species, including snails and slugs, have successfully adapted to a fully terrestrial existence, living in damp environments on land.