To search plankton samples from Puget Sound for larval Molluscs. In this way, you'll have more time to look at the animals. The phylum Mollusca is estimated to contain 50,000 to 100,000 living species, making it the second most diverse phylum of living organisms. However, the largest number of taxa and greatest diversity of molluscs live in marine waters. The great diversity of molluscs includes such organisms as chitons, snails, clams, and squid.
Most molluscs possess a foot, mantle, mantle cavity, radula, and calcareous shell.
However, there is a remarkable amount of diversity among molluscan classes in their morphology and lifestyles. To familiarize yourself with the similarities and differences of the four major classes of molluscs, sketch one representative from the class Polyplacophora, Gastropoda, Bivalvia, and Cephalopoda. All chitons have eight separate articulating shell plates or valves embedded in a thick, tough mantle. Examine a live chiton in the aquarium and try to identify its eight plates. Also, examine the plates of a chiton on display.