Introduction
Over eleven hundred species of mollusc have been recorded in Great Britain and Ireland. They are found in all sorts of habitat including beaches, deep sea, lakes and rivers, woodland and open fields. Many have evolved specialisms to allow their survival in these areas. This section of the website aims to provide an overview of the variety of different forms and also give more information on individual species. Please note that it is still under development.
Marine
Gastropoda - Prosobranchia
This group is typified by a coiled or 'snail-like' appearance although in some members, such as the limpets, this coiling is not seen. More...
Bivalvia
Bivalves enclose the soft body of the mollusc between two 'saucer-like' valves. More...
Gastropoda - Opistobranchia
The Opistobranchs or 'sea-slugs' represent some of the most beautiful marine molluscs though many do not actually possess a shell.
Aplacophora
This group includes two rather small classes of mollusc - Caudofoveata and Solenogastres. The class Caudofoveata have the appearance of a worm and lack shells. They exclusively burrow in soft sediments. The class Solenogastres also lack shells and generally live attached to the surface of mud or cnidarians on which they feed.
Polyplacophora
The Polyplacophora, commonly known as chitons or 'coat-of-mail' shells have eight separate shells known as 'plates' and live attached to rock or other firm substrate.
Scaphopoda
The Scaphopoda or 'tusk-shells' form a small but very distinct class of mollusc. The shell is 'tooth-shaped' tube open at both ends. They live buried in sediment and feed on small particles obtained from it.
Cephalopoda
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Freshwater and terrestrial
Gastropoda - Prosobanchia
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Gastropoda - Pulmonata
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Bivalvia
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