Gastropoda
Also known as gastropod
Gastropods (; previously known as Univalves; class Gastropoda ) are a vast and diverse group of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca, comprising the animals commonly known as snails and slugs. With an estimated 65,000 to 80,000 living species, they form the second-largest animal class after the insects. The fossil record of gastropods extends back to the Late Cambrian. , 721 families are recognized—476 extant (some with fossil representatives) and 245 extinct known only from fossils.
AI overview
Gastropods are a huge group of invertebrate animals that includes snails and slugs, making up the second-largest animal class with an estimated 65,000 to 80,000 living species. They matter because they represent one of the most successful and diverse forms of animal life, with a fossil record reaching back hundreds of millions of years that helps scientists understand the history of life on Earth.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Species
gastropods
Gastropoda
CLASS
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumMollusca
- ClassGastropoda
Habitatmarine, brackish, freshwater
via GBIF
Research
31,537 papers- Editorial: Gastropoda immunity and host-pathogen interactions.Frontiers in immunology · 2024Bridger JM, Knight MDOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1385106
- Defensive strategies of Cladobranchia (Gastropoda, Opisthobranchia).ReviewNatural product reports · 2010Putz A, König GM, Wägele H
Article
28 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Diversity
- Habitat
- Anatomy
- Shell
- Chirality
- Body wall
- Sensory organs and nervous system
- Digestive system
- Respiratory system
- Circulatory system
- Excretory system
- Reproductive system
- Life cycle
- Feeding behavior
- Terrestrial gastropods
- Fungivory
- Genetics
- Geological history and evolution
- Phylogeny
- Taxonomy
- Current classification
- History
- Ecology and conservation
- Predators
- References
- Sources
- External links
Gastropods (; previously known as Univalves; class Gastropoda ) are a vast and diverse group of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca, comprising the animals commonly known as snails and slugs. With an estimated 65,000 to 80,000 living species, they form the second-largest animal class after the insects. The fossil record of gastropods extends back to the Late Cambrian. , 721 families are recognized—476 extant (some with fossil representatives) and 245 extinct known only from fossils.
Gastropods inhabit an extraordinary range of environments, including marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems. They occur in gardens, woodlands, deserts, mountains, rivers, lakes, estuaries, mudflats, intertidal zones, the deep sea, hydrothermal vents, and even in parasitic niches.