Marine Sci Taxonomy
Gastropoda (Snails, Slugs, Limpets) | Torsion (twisting of body during development); may have coiled shells | Cone Snail (Conus), Sea Slug (Nudibranch), Limpet (Patella) |
Bivalvia (Clams, Oysters, Mussels, Scallops) | Two hinged shells; filter feeders with no radula | Blue Mussel (Mytilus), Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica), Giant Clam (Tridacna) |
Cephalopoda (Squids, Octopuses, Cuttlefish, Nautiluses) | Highly intelligent, tentacles with suckers, jet propulsion for movement | Giant Squid (Architeuthis), Octopus (Octopus vulgaris), Cuttlefish (Sepia) |
Polyplacophora (Chitons) | Oval body with eight armored plates; cling to rocks in intertidal zones | Common Chiton (Katharina tunicata) |
Scaphopoda (Tusk Shells) | Tubular, tusk-shaped shell; live buried in sand | Dentalium species |
Monoplacophora (Primitive Mollusks) | Cap-like shell; deep-sea, segmented body structure | N |
Class Asteroidea (Sea Stars) | Five or more arms with tube feet for movement; can regenerate limbs | Common Starfish (Asterias rubens), Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (Acanthaster planci) |
Class Ophiuroidea (Brittle Stars & Basket Stars) | Slender, flexible arms distinct from the central disc; move by arm wriggling instead of tube feet | Brittle Star (Ophiothrix fragilis), Basket Star (Gorgonocephalus) |
Class Echinoidea (Sea Urchins & Sand Dollars) | Round or flattened bodies covered in spines; use Aristotle’s lantern (jaw structure) to feed | Purple Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus), Sand Dollar (Clypeaster subdepressus) |
Class Holothuroidea (Sea Cucumbers) | Soft, elongated body; can eviscerate (expel internal organs) as a defense mechanism | California Sea Cucumber (Parastichopus californicus), Tiger Tail Sea Cucumber (Holothuria thomasi) |
Class Crinoidea (Feather Stars & Sea Lilies) | Suspension feeders with feathery arms for filtering plankton; ancient lineage of echinoderms | Feather Star (Antedon species), Sea L
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