Key to Australian Freshwater and Terrestrial Invertebrates




Phylum Mollusca


Key to the Orders and Families of Mollusca

Common name: molluscs

The molluscs are a diverse group including octopuses, squids, snails, slugs and clams. Mollusca means �soft-bodied�, and whilst many species of mollusc develop a hard shell, the group is united by a soft, unsegmented body. Other general characteristics include a muscular foot or tentacles and a mantle that can secrete a shell. Most molluscs also possess a tongue with teeth called a radula, and aquatic species use gills for respiration. Due to the huge diversity of body form and lifestyle, molluscs are found in nearly every environment, including on land, in the oceans and in freshwater habitats. Australia is home to 10,000-15,000 species of mollusc, with over 100,000 species described worldwide. Two classes of mollusc are found in terrestrial or freshwater habitats: the gastropods and the bivalves.

slug
An Australian slug
Image credit: Paul Hocksenar
used under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 License
Corbicula australis
Corbicula australis
Image credit: Hugh Jones (OEH), CCARP Database of Watering Requirements - Images
used under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License
Cernuella virgata
Cernuella virgata
Image credit: Arthur Chapman
used under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike License
Atopos australis
Atopos australis
Image credit: John Stanisic
used under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial License
Velesunio ambiguus
Velesunio ambiguus
Image credit: Hugh Jones (OEH), CCARP Database of Watering Requirements - Images
used under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License
Notopala waterhousei
Notopala waterhousei
Image credit: � Noeneel Sharma
used with permission
Neritina violacea
Neritina violacea
Image credit: � Thomas Bond
used with permission
Lymnaea stagnalis
Lymnaea stagnalis, an introduced species
Image credit: Hans Zwitzer
used under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike License
Leptopoma perlucida
Leptopoma perlucida
Image credit: � John Stanisic
used with permission
Helicarion niger
Helicarion niger
Image credit: Lorraine Phelan
used under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike License




References and further information


ABRS Australian Faunal Directory: Mollusca
Atlas of Living Australia: Mollusca
Encyclopedia of Life: Mollusca
Tree of Life: Mollusca
Australian Museum, Mollusca
Key to Families of Australian Aquatic Molluscs
Queensland Museum, Mollusca

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Australia License.