The words mollusc and mollusk are both derived from the French mollusque, which originated from the post-classical Latin mollusca, from mollis, soft, first used by J. Jonston (Historiæ Naturalis, 1650) to describe a … See more

The most universal features of the body structure of molluscs are a mantle with a significant body cavity used for breathing and excretion, and the organization of the nervous system. Many have a calcareous shell. … See more

Estimates of accepted described living species of molluscs vary from 50,000 to a maximum of 120,000 species. The total number of described species is difficult to estimate because of unresolved synonymy. In 1969, Da… See more