Mollusc

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/mollusc

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Phylum Mollusca
2. What are molluscs and why do many of them have shells?Molluscs are animals with soft bodies, and many grow a hard shell made of calcium that protects them and gives shape to their body.
3. How do snails, clams, and octopuses differ from each other?Snails twist their bodies in a process called torsion and may lose their shells, clams have two hinged shells that help them filter food, and octopuses have lost their shells and have very smart brains and eyes.

Adaptive Radiation: The diversification of a group of organisms into forms filling different ecological niches.
Torsion: A unique developmental process in gastropods where the visceral mass rotates 180 degrees.
Radula: A rasping, toothed organ found in most molluscs, used for feeding.
Ecosystem Engineers: Organisms that create, maintain, or modify habitats, significantly impacting other species.