Latin name: Mollusks are part of the phylum Mollusca
Type: Invertebrate
Diet: Herbivore
Average lifespan: Approximately 15 years.
The ocean quahog Arctica islandica L. can live to be 220 years old.
Animals in colder water live the longest, since their metabolism is slower.
Size: The largest snail is known attained a length of nearly 800mm (two and one half feet), this snail weighed in at 18kg
Mollusks are a major division of invertebrates, invertebrates are animals without backbones. Types of mollusk are squids, octopuses, oysters, mussels and snails. There are about 100,000 species of mollusks. Mollusks are called shellfish by many people however that only apply to crabs, lobsters and prawns. If you find a shell along the seashore it probably is a mollusk shell. Snails also fall in the category of mollusks because they have a shell that protects their bodies. Note that a slug is not a snail, since a slug does not have a shell. Snails are one of the oldest types of animals of our planet. The evidence shows that they evolved more than 600 million years ago.
Mollusk video.
What does a Mollusk look like?
Mollusks are animals without backbones, so most of the mollusks have a hard shell to protect their bodies. Some mollusks crawl, other mollusks move with their shells that have hinges and open like a box. Other mollusks lost their shells like the octopus. Generally mollusks have a long soft structure. They have eyes on their head and a mouth.
Where does the Mollusk live?
You can find mollusks everywhere in the world. They mainly live in or around the water such as rivers, ponds and oceans. Snails enjoy the rain and so they so not necessarily need an ocean as long as they can keep their bodies moist. There are snails that actually live in the desert where they find just enough water to survive. Mollusks like clams, scallops and oysters mostly live in the shallow water of oceans, while many octopuses and squids thrive in the deep of the oceans.
What does a Mollusk eat?
Mollusks eat many types of foods depending on their species. Many mollusks that have their body between two shells are herbivores, they mainly feed on algae. Squids and octopuses are predators and feed on fish and other sea creatures. The mollusk snails are mixed with herbivores and carnivores.
Did you know about these Mollusk facts?
The giant African snail grows to a length of 6 inches (15 centimeters).
Land snails, also known as escargot, are eaten by many people around the world. - Not all mollusks have shells
There are about 100,000 species of mollusks
Some mollusks (the squids) can rival the fishes in their swimming speed. They jet about by filling their mantle with water, and pulse it through their siphon.
Some squids can swim up to 25 miles (40 kilometers) per hour.
Mollusks include the largest of all invertebrates, the giant squid.
An octopus has three hearts
If an octopus loses one of its eight arms; it grows a new one in its place.
Not all mollusks have heads
Oyster shells are made of calcium - Female oysters can produce as many as 500 million eggs in a year.
A single garden snail can have 430 babies in a year.
Mollusk images
Mollusk Wallpapers
Download free Mollusk wallpapers, click on the image to open the large version.
Mollusk wallpaper 1
Mollusk wallpaper 2
Mollusk wallpaper 3
Mollusk Coloring pages
Print free Mollusk coloring pages, click on the image to open the large version.
Mollusks are a major division of invertebrates, invertebrates are animals without backbones. Types of mollusk are squids, octopuses, oysters, mussels and snails. There are about 100,000 species of mollusks. Mollusks are called shellfish by many people however that only apply to crabs, lobsters and prawns. If you find a shell along the seashore it probably is a mollusk shell. Snails also fall in the category of mollusks because they have a shell that protects their bodies. Note that a slug is not a snail, since a slug does not have a shell. Snails are one of the oldest types of animals of our planet. The evidence shows that they evolved more than 600 million years ago. 
The giant African snail grows to a length of 6 inches (15 centimeters). 
