Mollusks

ocean · soft-bodied · super diverse

Over 86,000 species. Mollusks are the second-largest group of animals in the entire world. Only insects and their relatives (arthropods) have more kinds of species than mollusks do.

No bones needed. Unlike fish or mammals, mollusks are invertebrates, meaning they have no skeleton inside their bodies. Instead, most have soft, squishy bodies that sometimes hide in hard shells.

Ancient animal family. Mollusks have been around for hundreds of millions of years. Scientists have found fossils of between 60,000 and 100,000 different types that lived long ago.

Many still unknown. Scientists think there are way more mollusks out there that we haven't discovered or named yet. It's like exploring a brand new world that's been hiding in plain sight!

Super varied bodies. Mollusks come in many shapes and sizes. They can be snails in gardens, clams in the ocean, octopuses in coral reefs, or creatures so weird we're still learning about them.