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Mollusks

Argonauta argo, the Greater Argonaut, a cephalopod

The 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

Photo title: Hinea brasiliana, the clusterwink snail, emitting light

Photo credit: Dimitri Deheyn, Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Census of Marine Life, now concluded, had a number of projects that included mollusks:

Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS). Search for data on the distribution of mollusks. Go to the bottom of the screen, in the Taxonomic Category drop-down menu, select Molluscs and hit Search,

CephBase is a database-driven web site on all living cephalopods (octopus, squid, cuttlefish and nautilus),

History of Marine Animal Populations (HMAP),

Future of Marine Animal Populations (FMAP), and

technology to study marine life.

All (34)

Institutional Contact (1)

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Frances B. Michaelis

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Dr Frances B Michaelis, Editor, UN Atlas of the Oceans. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Consultant, support from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD and National Marine Fisheries Service, USA.
International Research Associate, Reef and Rainforest Research Centre

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