AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Mollusc is derived from the Latin word “mollis, ” which means “soft.” Most mollusks, however, have a hard shell in addition to soft sections.

Detailed explanation-2: -Etymology. From French mollusque, from New Latin Mollusca (phylum name), from Latin molluscus (“thin-shelled”), from mollis (“soft”); see Proto-Indo-European *mel-.

Detailed explanation-3: -mol·lusk ˈmä-ləsk. variants or mollusc. : any of a large phylum (Mollusca) of invertebrate animals (such as snails, clams, or squids) with a soft unsegmented body usually enclosed in a calcareous shell. broadly : shellfish.

Detailed explanation-4: -The term Mollusca was derived from the term given by Aristotle to cuttlefish. Mollusc means soft. These organisms are found in the terrestrial as well as in deep seas. Their size ranges from microscopic organisms to organisms 20 metres long.

Detailed explanation-5: -Molluscs, one of the largest groups in the animal kingdom, have soft bodies and generally have a hard shell for protection – so they are often called “shellfish”. Most molluscs are found in the ocean, but many can be found in freshwater and on land. Worldwide there are about 100, 000 species of marine molluscs.