Vocabulary
- Head-Foot: an elongated region with an anterior head and an elongate foot.
- Visceral Mass: located dorsal to the foot and it has organs used for digestion, circulation, reproduction, and excretion.
- Mantle: mantle tends to cover the whole body of the organism and it attaches to the visceral mass. The mantle is able to secrete a shell that covers the mantle.
- Periostracum: outer layer of the shell that covers the mantle.
- Prismatic: middle layer of the shell that covers the mantle.
- Nacreous: inner layer of the shell that covers the mantle.
- Mantle-cavity: the space between the mantle and foot.
- Radula: rasping structure in the mouth of a molluscs. The radula has a chitinous belt and rows of curved teeth.
- Torsion: a 180 degree counterclockwise twist of the visceral mas, mantle, and mantle cavity.
- operculum: a covering on the posterior dorsal part of the foot.
- Protostyle: mucoid mass that extends to the stomach.
- Siphons: serves as an inhalant tube.
- Trochophore larvae: free swimming larva.
- Veliger larva: a free swimming larva with a foot, eyes, tentacles, and a shell.