Mollusks, Crustaceans, and Related Species

Animal Life Resource

Amphipods: Amphipoda - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Conservation Status, Skeleton Shrimp (caprella Californica): Species Accounts - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, AMPHIPODS AND PEOPLE

Amphipods are found worldwide. Most amphipods live on the ocean bottom and burrow in mud or debris. Many live in the open sea and are usually found on floating, jellylike animals, such as jellies and ctenophores. Others burrow into sandy beaches. About 1,200 species are found in fresh water, where they live among decaying leaves. About one hundred species live in moist habitats on land. Amphi…

less than 1 minute read

Mystacocarids: Mystacocarida - Physical Characteristics, Mystacocarids And People, No Common Name (derocheilocaris Typicus): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, BEHAVIOR AND REPRODUCTION, CONSERVATION STATUS

Mystacocarids are found along the coasts of the eastern and western Atlantic, southern South America, western Australia, and the Mediterranean Sea. Mystacocarids live in the spaces between the grains of sand found along coastal beaches. Mystacocarids probably eat algae (AL-jee) and bacteria living on the surfaces of sand grains. Mystacocarids use their antennae, mandibles, and slender bodies …

less than 1 minute read

Mussel Shrimp: Ostracoda - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, No Common Name (vargula Hilgendorfii): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, MUSSEL SHRIMP AND PEOPLE, CONSERVATION STATUS

Mussel shrimp are found in all oceans and on all continents. Most species live on the bottom, or near bottom. Some attach themselves to other organisms living on or near the bottom, including other species of crustaceans. One species lives in the gills of fish. Some live in open water, while others are found in very wet moss and leaf litter on land. Some ocean-dwelling species live at depths …

1 minute read

Tongue Worms: Pentastomida - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Tongue Worm (linguatula Serrata): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, TONGUE WORMS AND PEOPLE, CONSERVATION STATUS

Tongue worms are found on all continents, but most species are found in the warmer tropics and subtropics. Adult tongue worms live in respiratory systems of vertebrates (birds, reptiles, and mammals). The larvae (LAR-vee) of tongue worms develop in the tissues and organs of hosts different from those of the adults. Larval hosts include arthropods, birds, reptiles, and mammals. Both the adults…

1 minute read

Snails Sea Slugs and Limpets: Gastropoda - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Gastropods And People, No Common Name (corolla Spectabilis): Species Accounts - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, CONSERVATION STATUS

Gastropods are found on all continents and in all oceans. Gastropods live in a wide variety of habitats in the ocean, on land, and in bodies of fresh water. Gastropods eat many kinds of foods. Some species filter out bits of plants, animals, and other organisms floating in the water. Many scrape algae (AL-jee) or crustlike animals off rocks in tide pools and elsewhere on the ocean bottom. Oth…

less than 1 minute read

Bivalves: Bivalvia - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Bivalves And People, Conservation Status, Black-lipped Pearl Oyster (pinctada Margaritifera): Species Accounts - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET

Bivalves are found worldwide in freshwater and ocean habitats. All bivalves need fresh or sea water to breathe, reproduce, and feed. Ocean-dwelling species are found from the seashore to deep-sea habitats. However, the Australian Enigmonia lives on mangrove leaves or seawalls beyond high tide and gets its moisture from sea spray. Most species live on the bottom or burrow into mud and sand. Ot…

less than 1 minute read

Mollusks Crustaceans: Pronunciation Guide for Scientific Names

Amphionidacea am-fee-oh-nih-DAY-see-ay Amphionides reynaudii am-fee-OH-nih-deez ray-NOH-dee-eye Amphipoda am-fee-POH-day Anaspidacea an-ah-spih-DAY-see-ay Anaspides tasmaniae an-ah-SPIH-dayz taz-MAY-nee-ee Antalis entalis an-TAL-is en-TAL-is Antrobathynella stammeri an-troh-bath-EE-nel-lay STAM-mer-eye Aplacophora ah-plak-oh-FOR-ay Apseudes intermedius ap-SEE-oo-dez in-ter-MEE-dee-us Argulus folia…

2 minute read

Mollusks Getting to Know Crustaceans Segmented Worms and their Relatives

Crustaceans, mollusks, segmented worms, and their relatives are incredibly different from each other. They differ in the shapes and makeup of their bodies, methods of reproduction and development, and in the ways they go about their lives. But they are related to one another based on a set of unique characteristics or features that they all have in common. To understand these features, it is usefu…

12 minute read

Freshwater and Marine Ectoprocts or Bryozoans: Ectoprocta - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Sea Mat (electra Pilosa): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, ECTOPROCTS AND PEOPLE, CONSERVATION STATUS

Freshwater ectoprocts are found on every continent, including Antarctica. Marine species live in every ocean. Freshwater species are found in shallow, still waters. They attach themselves to the sides or undersides of rocks, wood, plants, and trash. Marine ectoprocts live in shallow waters near the coastline to deep-sea bottoms at depths of 26,900 feet (8,200 meters). They are also found on t…

1 minute read

Mollusks Crustaceans - Species List by Biome

Common pillbug Common shiny woodlouse Roman snail Tongue worm Common octopus Giant tiger prawn Green bonellia Gumboot chiton Hutchinsoniella macracantha Longfin inshore squid Nannosquilla decemspinosa Norwegian tubeworm Peacock mantis shrimp Pearly nautilus Phoronis ijimai Queen scallop Red king crab Sand isopod Sea mat Sipunculus nudus Skeleton shrimp Speleonectes gironensis Tusk shell Veiled chi…

1 minute read

Species List by Geographic Range

Common octopus Common pillbug Common shiny woodlouse Common water flea Fish louse Green bonellia Mysis relicta Red swamp crayfish Rock barnacle Roman snail Zebra mussel Common octopus Green bonellia Red swamp crayfish Common pillbug Common shiny woodlouse Common water flea Fish louse Mysis relicta Red swamp crayfish Zebra mussel Common octopus Fire worm Red swamp crayfish Tongue worm Common octopu…

17 minute read

Earthworms: Oligochaeta - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Conservation Status, River Worm (diplocardia Riparia): Species Accounts - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, EARTHWORMS AND PEOPLE

Earthworms are found worldwide. They do not occur in deserts, polar regions, or in strongly acid soils. A few species have been widely distributed by humans. Most earthworms live in the soil, but some prefer the mud along the shores of fresh or salty bodies of water. Depending on species, many earthworms live in the upper leaf litter layer, topsoil, or in deeper layers in the soil. Others liv…

1 minute read

Peanut Worms: Sipuncula - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, No Common Name (sipunculus Nudus): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, PEANUT WORMS AND PEOPLE, CONSERVATION STATUS

Peanut worms are found in all of the oceans. Peanut worms are found in both cold- and warm-water habitats, at all depths between the intertidal zone and 22,510 feet (6,860 meters). Some species live in burrows in sand or mud, while others live in rock crevices, empty seashells, or tubeworm tubes. Still others bore into rock or bone. Some species make their homes in mats of algae (AL-jee) or p…

1 minute read

Water Bears: Tardigrada - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Water Bears And People, Giant Yellow Water Bear (richtersius Coronifer): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, CONSERVATION STATUS

Water bears are found on all continents and in all oceans. Water bears require water and are found in a wide variety of marine, freshwater, and terrestrial habitats. Some species live in hot, radioactive springs, while other live in ice caves formed by glaciers and other sheets of ice. Many marine species are found along beaches. Those living on land are found in primitive plants and plantlik…

less than 1 minute read

Remipedes: Remipedia - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Remipedes And People, No Common Name (speleonectes Gironensis): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, CONSERVATION STATUS

Remipedes are found in underwater sea caves along the shores of the Bahamas, Canary Islands, Cuba, eastern Mexico, northwestern Australia, and the Indian Ocean. Remipedes live only in completely submerged sea caves near the shores of islands and some continents. They live with other cave-dwelling, or troglodytic (TRAH-gloh-DIH-tik), crustaceans and fish. They are predators and eat troglodytic…

less than 1 minute read

Bathynellaceans: Bathynellacea - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Bathynellaceans And People, No Common Name (antrobathynella Stammeri): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, CONSERVATION STATUS

Bathynellaceans are found on all continents except Antarctica. They are not known to be from Central America, from islands that are volcanic in origin, and from some other islands, such as New Caledonia, Fiji, and the Caribbean islands. Bathynellaceans are found mostly underground near freshwater habitats or in caves. They are sometimes collected on the surface in waters that are fed by under…

less than 1 minute read

Anaspidaceans: Anaspidacea - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Anaspidaceans And People, No Common Name (anaspides Tasmaniae): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, CONSERVATION STATUS

Anaspidaceans are found only in southeastern Australia (including Tasmania), New Zealand, Chile, and Argentina. The larger species of anaspidaceans usually prefer to live in cool mountain streams, lakes, and swamps. Stream-dwelling species forage on boulders and smaller rocks on the stream bottom. Species living in swamps are found in the burrows of crayfish. Lake species live in mats of alga…

less than 1 minute read

Amphionids: Amphionidacea - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, AMPHIONIDS AND PEOPLE, CONSERVATION STATUS

Amphionids live in all oceans. Because they are found throughout the world, no distribution map is provided. Amphionids are marine and are most common near the equator. Young animals live with other plankton at depths of 90 to 300 feet (30 to 100 meters). Plankton is made up of free-floating, often microscopic, plant and animal life. Adult females have been found at depths of 5,577 feet (1,70…

1 minute read

Cumaceans: Cumacea - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, No Common Name (cyclaspis Longicaudata): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, CUMACEANS AND PEOPLE, CONSERVATION STATUS

Cumaceans live around the world in oceans, seas, bays, and estuaries to the deepest trenches. Most species live in the ocean and brackish waters, but some are found in habitats where water is fresh for at least short periods of time. Many live on the bottom, just below the surface in soft mud or sand. They prefer habitats where there is some water current, but little wave action. One group li…

1 minute read

Tanaids: Tanaidacea - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, No Common Name (apseudes Intermedius): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, TANAIDS AND PEOPLE, CONSERVATION STATUS

Most tanaids live in the ocean, but a few species prefer the brackish waters of estuaries where rivers meet the ocean. Most tanaids live at a wide variety of depths on the bottom of oceans and estuaries. Many species live at depths of more than 656 feet (200 meters); some are found below 29, 527 feet (9,000 meters). A few species live in the open ocean as free-floating plankton. Still others …

1 minute read

Spelaeogriphaceans: Spelaeogriphacea - Physical Characteristics, Spelaeogriphaceans And People, No Common Name (spelaeogriphus Lepidops): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, BEHAVIOR AND REPRODUCTION, CONSERVATION STATUS

Spelaeogriphaceans are known only from small regions of South Africa, Brazil, and Western Australia. They are found in freshwater streams or pools in caves or in underground springs. Spelaeogriphaceans are thought to feed on bits of plants that are washed into the caves and underground springs. They use their mouthparts to sweep up small particles off rocks. Very little is known about these a…

less than 1 minute read

Thermosbaenaceans: Thermosbaenacea - Physical Characteristics, Some Like It Hot!, No Common Name (thermosbaena Mirabilis): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, BEHAVIOR AND REPRODUCTION, CONSERVATION STATUS

Thermosbaenaceans are found in the North Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the southeastern Indian Ocean. Most thermosbaenaceans live in underground springs or in caves with brackish waters. Brackish water is less salty than seawater. Others live along the seashore or in underground caves filled with seawater. A few species live in hot springs at temperatures of 111 to 118°F (…

1 minute read