Hapalochlaena lunulata

What are mollusks?

The word mollusks originates from “molluscus” in Latin meaning soft. The term is applied to invertebrate animals with soft bodies. “Shellfish” is the common term we use to describe these soft-bodied animals. They belong to group of invertebrates with which, like the insects, we are all quite familiar. The variety of species within the Phylum Mollusca are numerous, including snails, slugs, chitons, abalones, conchs, clams, oysters, mussels, scallops, tridacnas, sea hares, limpets, octopuses, squids, and nautiluses. It is currently the second largest Phylum after the Arthropoda in the animal kingdom.