Mantle (mollusc)
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The mantle is a significant part of the anatomy of molluscs: it is the dorsal body wall which covers the visceral mass and usually protrudes in the form of flaps well beyond the visceral mass itself.
European squid (Loligo vulgaris). The mantle is all that is visible behind the head: the outer body wall and the fins are all part of the mantle.
The brightly coloured mantle of a giant clam protects it from bright sunlight.
The cuttlefish uses its mantle cavity for jet propulsion
The marine gastropod Cypraea chinensis, the Chinese cowry, showing its partially extended mantle.
Mollusca
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Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals, after Arthropoda; members are known as molluscs or mollusks. Around 76,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is estimated between 60,000 and 100,000 additional species. The proportion of undescribed species is very high. Many taxa remain poorly studied.
Image: Grapevinesnail 01a
Image: Octopus 2
Image: Clams on Sandy Hook beaches panoramio
Image: Tonicella lineata