Import Export: Abalone Mollusk

Wednesday, 23 January 2013

Abalone Mollusk

The mollusks (American spelling) or molluscs (British spelling) are the large and diverse phylum (Mollusca) of invertebrates that includes a variety of familiar animals well-known for their decorative shells or as seafood. These range from tiny snails, clams, and abalone to the octopus, cuttlefish, and squid (which have complex nervous systems and are considered the most intelligent invertebrates).Mollusks are characterized by having a true coelom; a body typically divided into the three parts of head, visceral mass, and muscular foot; organ systems for circulation, respiration, digestion, excretion, nerve conduction, and reproduction; and most mollusks have one or more shells and are bilaterally symmetrical (Towle 1989). Unlike the closely related annelids, mollusks lack body segmentation.