Gastropods, commonly known as slugs and snails, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda.
Sea slug is a common name for some marine invertebrates with varying levels of resemblance to terrestrial slugs. Most creatures known as sea slugs are gastropods, i.e. they are sea snails that, over evolutionary time, have either entirely lost their shells or have seemingly lost their shells due to having a significantly reduced or internal shell. The name "sea slug" is often applied to nudibranchs and a paraphyletic set of other marine gastropods without apparent shells.
Sea snail is a common name for slow-moving marine gastropod molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguished from snails primarily by the absence of a visible shell.
The Trochidae, common name top-snails or top-shells, are a family of various sized sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the subclass Vetigastropoda. This family is commonly known as the top-snails because in many species the shell resembles a toy spinning top.
The gastropod shell is part of the body of a gastropod or snail, a kind of mollusc. The shell is an exoskeleton, which protects from predators, mechanical damage, and dehydration, but also serves for muscle attachment and calcium storage. Some gastropods appear shell-less (slugs) but may have a remnant within the mantle, or in some cases the shell is reduced such that the body cannot be retracted within it (semi-slug). Some snails also possess an operculum that seals the opening of the shell, known as the aperture, which provides further protection. The study of mollusc shells is known as conchology. The biological study of gastropods, and other molluscs in general, is malacology. Shell morphology terms vary by species group.
The puzzle elimia is a species of freshwater snail with an operculum, aquatic gastropod mollusc in the family Pleuroceridae. This species is endemic to the Cahaba River system of Bibb County, Alabama in the United States
The Columbellidae, the dove snails or dove shells, are a family of minute to small sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the order Neogastropoda.
Pseudofusulus varians is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Clausiliidae.
Pyrene is a genus of small sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Columbellidae.
Freshwater snails are gastropod mollusks that live in fresh water. There are many different families. They are found throughout the world in various habitats, ranging from ephemeral pools to the largest lakes, and from small seeps and springs to major rivers. The great majority of freshwater gastropods have a shell, with very few exceptions. Some groups of snails that live in freshwater respire using gills, whereas other groups need to reach the surface to breathe air. In addition, some are amphibious and have both gills and a lung. Most feed on algae, but many are detritivores and some are filter feeders.
Euplica turturina, common name : the turtle dove shell, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Columbellidae, the dove snails.
Euplica scripta, common name : the dotted dove shell, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Columbellidae, the dove snails.
Euplica brunnidentata is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Columbellidae, the dove snails.
Euplica is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Columbellidae, the dove snails.
Petaloconchus varians is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Vermetidae, the worm snails or worm shells.
Petaloconchus is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Vermetidae, the worm snails or worm shells.
Joculator varians is a species of minute sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Cerithiopsidae. The species was described by Charles Francis Laseron in 1956.
Bankivia is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Trochidae, the top snails.
Eulima varians is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Eulimidae. The species is one of a number within the genus Eulima.
Hemitrochus is a genus of air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Xanthonychidae/Cepolidae.
