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 ID# : 80584
 Visits: 1185
 Added: 15-Apr-2005
 Updated: 15-May-2006
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 Editors
 Census of Marine Life
 Frances B. Michaelis
 John Everett
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Mollusks Maintained by CoML  
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Mollusks
 
Argonauta argo, the Greater Argonaut, a cephalopodThe Mollusks are one of the most successful phyla with over 100 000 living species and are found worldwide. Search Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) for databases of mollusk distribution. They have a head-foot complex, a mantle that secretes a calcium carbonate shell and a gill, suspended in the mantle cavity, which is used for respiration and commonly for suspension feeding. There are several kinds of mollusks:
  • Gastropoda (snails),
  • Bivalvia (clams, oysters and mussels),
  • Cephalopoda (squid and octopus),
  • Polyplacophora (chitons) and
  • Scaphopoda (tusk shells).
Mollusks have an important role to play in the ecosystem, varying from the herbivorous chitons feeding on microalgae and seaweeds attached to rocks; bivalves filtering phytoplankton and organic matter in sediment; the shipworm Teredo which bores into wood; to the specialist carnivores like octopuses feeding on individual crab species. Many species are important for aquaculture.
Based on Levinton, J S, “Marine Biology. Function, Biodiversity, Ecology” Oxford University Press.

This is a stamp showing Argonauta argo, the Greater Argonaut. The stamp was issued in 1956 (Michel-Nr. 796) by the former Yugoslavian authorities. (Caption courtesy of James B. Wood)
Photo title: Argonauta argo, the Greater Argonaut, a cephalopod
Photo credit: James B Wood
 
For more information
 
Census of Marine Life has a number of projects that include mollusks:
CephBase - cephalopods
Photo title: CephBase - cephalopods
Photo credit: James B Wood
 
 
 
 
All  (18) News   (3) Websites   (6) Documents   (4) Books   (2) Multimedia   (2) Institutional Contact   (1)
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News
Websites
Searchable database containing images, video, information on ecology, life history, catch statistic, distribution maps, direction guides, taxonomic identification keys and references CephBase Searchable database containing images, video, information on ecology, life hist...  
GMBIS is searchable database relating marine species' distributions to environmental parameters Gulf of Maine Biogeographic Information System GMBIS is searchable database relating marine species' distributions to environm...  
Information about the Indian Ocean South-East Asia Year of the Turtle 2006 Indian Ocean- South-East Asian Marine Turtle Memorandum of Understanding Information about the Indian Ocean South-East Asia Year of the Turtle 2006...  
Information on species found in seamount habitats that provides a freely-available online resource for searching, downloading, mapping, and analyzing patterns of biogeography in these data Seamounts Online Information on species found in seamount habitats that provides a freely-availa...  
a website about seaturtles seaturtle.org a website about seaturtles 
Research into Antarctic marine living resources US Antarctic Marine Living Resources Program (AMLR) Research into Antarctic marine living resources 
Documents
An explanation of the goals, strategy and scope of the Census of Marine Life research program, as well as detailed implementation plans for the individual projects to 2010. Census of Marine Life Research Plan (Version 2005) An explanation of the goals, strategy and scope of the Census of Marine Life re...  Editor's Choice
A review of status and trends in Russian European seas during the 1990s Ecosystems and Biological Resources of Russian European Seas at the T...1st Century A review of status and trends in Russian European seas during the 1990s...  
A guide to the day to day management of pearl oyster aquaculture The Pearl Oyster Pinctada maxima (Jameson, 1901). An Atlas of Functio...topathology A guide to the day to day management of pearl oyster aquaculture 
A report describing what we know and don't know about marine biodiversity The Unknown Ocean: Baseline Report of the Census of Marine Life A report describing what we know and don't know about marine biodiversity...  
Books
Sea shell patterns, with a CD of computer programs to perform your own simulations Algorithmic Beauty of Sea Shells Sea shell patterns, with a CD of computer programs to perform your own simulati...  
1600 espèces et 2200 photos Lagons et Récifs de Nouvelle-Calédonie 1600 espèces et 2200 photos Editor's Choice
Multimedia
ETI and Zoological Museum Amsterdam electronically published on CD-ROM the first complete overview of all the Pelagic Molluscs of the World. Pelagic Molluscs of the World ETI and Zoological Museum Amsterdam electronically published on CD-ROM the firs...  
A taxonomic reference work in DVD-ROM with identification guides and spatial distribution patterns Zooplankton of the South Atlantic Ocean A taxonomic reference work in DVD-ROM with identification guides and spatial di...  
Institutional Contact
Research and teaching on marine biodiversity and conservation. Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation Research and teaching on marine biodiversity and conservation. 
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