Molluscs have soft bodies that consist of three basic parts: a foot, a visceral mass and a mantle. Many species also have a protective shell made of chitin, proteins and calcium carbonate.
Since molluscs are so varied in form, it is difficult to use a single representative species to make many generalizations about the group's common anatomical structures.
Scientists estimate that there are more than 100,000 species of molluscs alive today.
This makes them the second largest phylum of animals, having fewer species than only the arthropoda.
Mollusca |
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