Gastropoda (previously known as univalves and sometimes spelled "Gasteropoda") are a major part of the phylum Mollusca, and are the most highly diversified class in the phylum, with 65,000 to 80,000 [3] [4] living snail and slug species. The anatomy, behavior, feeding, and reproductive adaptations of gastropods vary significantly from one clade ...

Mar 10, 2025 · Gastropod, any member of more than 65,000 animal species belonging to the class Gastropoda, the largest group in the phylum Mollusca. The class is made up of the snails, which have a shell into which the animal can withdraw, and the slugs, which are snails whose shells have been reduced to an internal fragment or lost.

May 6, 2024 · To analyze the external anatomy of snails, we will divide their body into the shell and the soft body inside it. The shell of a snail is its most distinctive feature and serves as its primary means of protection. It’s a spiral-shaped structure, which varies in size and pattern across different species.

Gastropods have highly developed sensory organs, including tentacles and eyes (B). The head is attached to the foot, a muscular organ used for creeping and feeding. Many gastropods have a radula, a rasp-like structure used for scraping algae and other food off the seafloor.

Sep 16, 2021 · Overview of the biology of modern gastropods (snails and slugs), their classification and evolution, and their fossil record.

Sep 11, 2024 · Gastropods are typically characterized by a head, muscular foot, mantle, and visceral hump. Most species are covered by a characteristic one-piece shell coiled dextrally (right-handed) or conically. However, in slugs, the shell is absent.

Oct 20, 2020 · Gastropod Anatomy, how does the radula work? What sort of senses do snails have and what sort of heart and blood system, etc.?

Mar 10, 2025 · The gastropod body consists of four main parts: visceral hump, mantle, head, and foot. The body is attached to the shell either by one columellar muscle or by a series of muscles.

Gastropods typically have a large foot with a flat sole for crawling, a single coiled shell that covers the soft body, and a head that bears a pair of eyes and tentacles. However, they are so diverse that some forms lack shells, while animals in one genus have shells with two halves, like bivalves. Most feed by using a radula, a ribbon of small ...

This article focuses on developing the basic understanding of the Gastropod meaning, gastropods examples, and gastropods characteristics like the morphological feature and organ system of the group. Reproduction and life cycle, habitats, are also discussed in the article.