Mollusks

Shells

Florida’s coasts, springs, and rivers are closely associated with shells, whether as shoreline finds, souvenirs, or signals of aquatic health. This guide explains what shells...

Relationships

Cephalopods—octopuses, squids, cuttlefishes, and nautiluses—are members of the phylum Mollusca and class Cephalopoda. Within Mollusca, they belong to the clade Conchifera, w...

science

Squid are soft-bodied marine mollusks best known for their elongated bodies, paired fins, ten arms, and complex brains. They belong to the kingdom Animalia and are members of th...

Shellfish & Mollusks

A clam with pearls forms when an irritant such as a sand grain, parasite, or tissue fragment enters the mantle or another soft tissue. In response, the mollusk secretes layers o...

Science & Nature

When two banana slugs meet head-to-tail and form a looping pattern that resembles the Taoist yin-yang symbol, observers often refer to this as banana slugs doing their yin-yang...