Class Monoplacophora [Mollusca]

Class Monoplacophora:

Class monoplacophora have following characteristics:

Habitat:

Monoplacophorans are primarily found in deep-sea environments, although some species have been found in shallow waters.

Radula:

Monoplacophorans possess a radula, which they used for scraping algae and other organic matter from surfaces for feeding.

Shell Shape:

Monoplacophorans have a limpet-like shell that is generally rounded or oval in shape.

Single Shell Plate:

Monoplacophorans have a single, large, and rounded shell plate that covers the entire dorsal surface of the animal.

Foot and Mantle:

They possess a muscular foot, which is used for locomotion and attachment to the substrate.

Filter Feeders:

Many Monoplacophorans are filter feeders, using ciliated gills to capture suspended food particles from the water column

Bilaterally Symmetrical:

Monoplacophorans exhibit bilateral symmetry because their bodies can be divided into two similar halves along a central axis.

Reproduction:

Most species of Monoplacophora are dioecious, however hermaphrodites have also been observed in some species.

Primitive Features:

Monoplacophorans are considered to have primitive characteristics similar to the ancestral mollusk species.

Slow Growth and Long Lifespan:

Monoplacophorans are known for their slow growth rate and long lifespan, with some individuals living for several decades.

Examples of class Monoplacophorans:

Scientific Name	General features
Veleropilina zografi	Deep-sea monoplacophoran found in the Mediterranean.
Veleropilina reticulata	Reticulated monoplacophoran with a distinct shell pattern.
Laevipilina hyalina	Transparent monoplacophoran known for its glassy appearance.
Laevipilina antarctica	Monoplacophoran species found in the icy waters of Antarctica.
Laevipilina caldwellana	Monoplacophoran species named after researcher Robert Caldwell.
Micropilina minuta	Tiny monoplacophoran species with a small shell size.
Micropilina monilifera	Monoplacophoran with a necklace-like arrangement of shell segments.

List of Mollusca classes with examples

Phylum Mollusca is classified into seven major classes namely: