Mollusca

Animals in this phylum are commonly known as mollusks. They are triploblastic, protostomes, and have bilateral symmetry. Mollusks have coelomate coelom, mesoderm lines the organs and body cavity. Phylum Mollusca has distinct features, such as a visceral mass, a muscular foot, and a mantle. The muscular foot aids them in locomotion and capturing food. In some cases, like class Cephalopoda, the foot evolved into tentacles. The mantle helps secrete the shell…

We have been able to observe marine organism in the clade Littorinimorpha in the three tides zones high, mid, and low each have their own ecological niche for marine organisms. But there is some marine life that are able to live in patchiness within zones and thrive in more than one. The high intertidal zones are home to marine life that are more tolerant to air, like barnacles (Ricketts et al. 1968). The mid zone includes higher low water and lower low water, which can be indicated by limpets…

A coelomate has a fluid filled body cavity, which is completely lined by the mesoderm. The organs of a coelomate are suspended within the fluid filled body cavity. This provides protection from any shock put on the organs. This fluid also provides shape to animals without a hard skeleton. Animals like Arthropoda and Echinodermata are examples of coelomates. Acoelomates lack internal cavities and fluid altogether. Their organs are located within the mesoderm which means less protected from shock…

Locomotion is the movement of a body from one place to another. There are various ways in which species of organisms in the 9 major phylum classes of the kingdom Animalia adapted unique muscle systems and how they use them. A phylum class includes organisms that are different but share important characteristics that resulted from evolutionary relationships among major groups of animals that allowed organisms to adapt in terms of the way they locomote. The Phylum Porifera is made up of sea…

The invasive effects of Dreissena polymorpha on native mussels within the Great Lakes region The Great Lakes area once supported an abundant number of freshwater mussels (Mollusca: Unionacea). The invasion of Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) has decimated these populations, by outcompeting native mussels in dispersal rates, and reproduction, due to enhanced survival mechanisms. Understanding the mechanisms that have allowed Zebra mussels to out complete native fresh water mussels, will…

New Guinea. Generally they are found in tropical to temperate latitudes. In the deep ocean they enjoy wide open spaces. Scientifically they are classified in the kingdom of animalia which is where all animals are put. Then they are the phylum of mollusca. The class of cephalopoda which also consists of squids, octopi, etc. Order is octopoda. In the family of opisthoteuthidae with umbrella octopi. Their genus is grimpoteuthis and they are species…

Pennsylvania Fish Commission, Harrisburg. Lewandowski, K. and A. Stanczykowska. 1975. The occurrence and role of bivalves of the family Unionidae in Mikolajskie Lake. Ekologia Polska 23: 317-334. Libois, R.M. and C. Hallet-Libois. 1987. The unionid mussels (Mollusca, Bivalvia) of the Belgian upper River Meuse: an assessment of the impact of hydraulic works on the river water self-purification. Biological Conservation 42: 115-132. Ligon, F.K., Dietrich, W.E., and W.J. Trush. 1995. Downstream…

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Porifera Classification information for Poriferans: Poriferans, better known as sponges, consist of 5000 known species, all located primarily in marine and fresh waters (Myers, 2001a). They are multicellular, heterotrophic, invertebrates with an irregular shape and no distinct pattern of symmetry (Myers, 2001a). Overall, they are the simplest of animals; thus, lacking any true tissue and/or germ layers (Myers, 2001a). Furthermore, they are known to be highly sessile,…