Cephalopods: description, structure, interesting facts. Abstract "interesting facts about bivalves"

How can individuals with versatile shells exist within one species of snail?

U different types snail shells can be placed on the right or left side of the body. But there are also species in which both options are possible - for example, right-sided placement prevails, and left-sided placement, caused by a recessive gene, is less common. Mating between diverse individuals is very difficult, but left-sided individuals do not disappear from the population due to other advantages. In the case of Japanese Satsuma snails, this factor is increased resistance to snakes that attack the victim from the left. Right-sided snails become easy prey for them, but left-sided ones, due to the anomalous position of the shell, survive much more often.

What predators immobilize prey using insulin?

Gastropods of the cone family are considered one of the most poisonous sea ​​creatures. Some of them shoot a “harpoon” - a modified tooth from the mouthparts - at the prey, while the species Conus geographus and Conus tulipa simply release a mixture of toxins into the water, immobilizing the prey. It was only recently discovered that two of the toxins in this mixture are very similar to the hormone insulin, which regulates blood sugar. When the fish is caught in the cloud of poison from the cone, it goes into hypoglycemic shock and almost loses the ability to move.

What mollusks are able to hide from predators while moving on land?

Some species of octopuses are able to leave the water for a while and move on land, pushing off with their tentacles. The purpose of their exit from their native element can be either to search for prey in small puddles that remain after low tide, or to escape from larger predators.

Which mollusks lose a penis after mating, but have two spare ones?

The nudibranchs Chromodoris reticulata are hermaphrodites, and mating of two individuals occurs by simultaneous penetration of the penises into each other's vaginas. Once the process is complete, each clam's penis falls off, but they still have two spare ones. The fact is that the total length of the organ is approximately 3 cm, but in one act only 1 cm of the length is used, and the rest remains curled up inside the body. After about a day, the next part of the penis is ready for new matings.

In addition to the well-known flying fish, there are also flying squids that live in the Pacific Ocean, but their flight methods are completely different. To jump out of the water, fish use fast and strong blows with their tails, and then soar with the help of wide fins, while squids both in the water and above its surface move due to jet thrust, that is, in the direction opposite to the ejected stream of water. However, in terms of flight range, squids are much inferior: their maximum distance, according to observations, does not exceed 30 meters, and the record flying fish equal to 400 meters.

Which snails have a shell covered with a layer of iron mineral?

Snails Chrysomallon squamiferum living near hydrothermal vents at the bottom Indian Ocean, are distinguished by their unusual “armor”. Their shell is formed of three layers: the inner one consists of aragonite, a common mineral for many mollusks, the middle layer is formed of a soft organic filler, and the outer one is made of iron sulfides. In addition, iron minerals make up the scales that protect the snail's leg. Such a shell makes the mollusk slightly vulnerable to attacks from crabs squeezing them with their claws, and has already attracted the interest of the US military, which is looking for new ideas for improving body armor.

What marine animals can the octopus Thaumoctopus mimicus imitate?

In order to hide from enemies, all octopuses can adapt to the color of water or soil, changing the color and texture of their skin. And octopuses of the species Thaumoctopus mimicus are also capable of imitating marine organisms - jellyfish, stingrays, shrimp, crabs and many others. These octopuses choose an object for mimicry based on which predator they noticed.

During the breeding process, males of which animals do not distinguish between the male or the female in front of them?

The squid Octopoteuthis deletron, living at depths of up to 800 meters, has a very short period of sexual maturity. Therefore, males have developed a breeding strategy in which they do not distinguish who is in front of them - a female or another male. When they encounter a squid of their own species of either sex in the dark, they attack it and smear it with spermatophores, that is, capsules with sperm.

How does a dead squid dance in a Japanese dish?

IN Japanese cuisine There is a dish called “dancing squid”. Freshly killed squid is placed in a bowl of rice and then watered soy sauce- and at this time the mollusk begins to “dance”, moving its tentacles. This effect is explained by the special structure of the squid’s nerve fibers, which, even after their death, react with the sodium contained in the sauce and cause the muscles to contract.

Which invertebrates are considered the smartest?

Octopuses are considered the most intelligent of all invertebrates and are even smarter than some vertebrates. For example, they can distinguish geometric shapes, get used to people feeding them, can be trained, and even become tame. Octopuses take great care of the cleanliness of their homes, “sweeping” them with a stream of water and putting waste outside in a garbage heap.

What animals can fertilize a female using a self-traveling body part?

Which animal can carry out the process of photosynthesis?

Not only plants can carry out the process of photosynthesis. The sea slug Elysia chlorotica lives on glucose obtained from the chloroplasts of the alga Vaucheria litorea. The slug achieves this by assimilating these chloroplasts into the cells of the digestive tract. After this, the process of photosynthesis begins - the slug genome encodes the proteins necessary for chloroplasts for this process, and in return receives synthesized glucose.

Why can you hear the sound of the sea in the souvenir shell?

The “Sound of the Sea” in the souvenir sea shell is actually noise environment, resonating with the cavities of the shell. A similar effect can be achieved without a souvenir by placing a mug or a bent palm to your ear. In addition to sounds from the outside, the resonator can also amplify sounds from the human body, which the brain normally filters out. This is, for example, the sound of blood flowing through the vessels or even the movement of air through earwax.

Tags:

Shellfish(from Latin Molluscus - soft) - a type of invertebrate animal. The body of most mollusks is covered with a shell; there are more than 130 thousand species. They live in seas, fresh water bodies and on land. Many shellfish are food for fish, birds and mammals; some are consumed by humans (oysters, mussels, squid, scallops, etc.)
Mollusks are amazing creatures that can amaze us with their beauty.
In order to hide from enemies, an octopus can adapt to the color of the soil or water, changing the texture and color of its skin.
The largest mollusk in the world (it is also the largest invertebrate in the world) - giant squid called Architeuthis dux. Its length is more than 18 meters. And the eyes are the size of a football. He lives in coastal waters Pacific Ocean.
Shells of mollusks (especially inhabitants of tropical seas, such as cones or murexes) are used as souvenirs, buttons and jewelry are made from them. And what Interesting Facts O gastropods do you know?
The largest land mollusk is Achatina fulica, whose leg size can reach 39 centimeters, with a weight of 900 grams.
Noise pestilence I in souvenir clam shells is the noise of your environment that resonates with the cavities of the shell.

Famous Ukrainian composers of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries made a significant contribution to the development of culture. They created and thereby glorified our Motherland. Therefore, today we will determine who the outstanding Ukrainian composers are. FAMOUS UKRAINIAN composer 1. Semyon Gulak-Artemovsky Semyon
Well-known geographers of Ukraine have made a significant contribution to the development of science and the study of our territory. Grigor Tyutyunnik life (biography) famous writer set out in this article. Grigor Tyutyunnik interesting facts Grigor Tyutyunnik was born into a peasant family; his father was arrested by the NKVD when he was only 6 years old. Grigor Tyutyunnik lived a difficult life
Pavel Tychyna interesting facts from the life (biography) of the Ukrainian poet and translator presented in this article.
Neptune- the eighth and last planet farthest from the Sun solar system. In 2006, when Mas decided to exclude Pluto from the solar system, Neptune received the title of “furthest planet.”
is the fourth largest planet in diameter and third largest in mass. The mass of Neptune is 17.2 times, and the diameter of the equator is 3.9 times greater than those on Earth.
Alaska is the largest US state by territory, on the northwestern edge North America. What do you know about the state of Alaska? You can read interesting facts about Alaska in this article.
Alaska cost
Did you know that Alaska cost the US $7.2 million? From 1799 to 1867, Alaska and its adjacent islands were under the control of a Russian-American company. In 1867, US Secretary of State William H.
Bears are large claw-footed animals, heroes of many fairy tales. We all know that bears hibernate in winter, but what else do you know about bears? We have selected the most interesting facts about bears, after reading which you will learn a lot
Tigers are one of the most beautiful representatives of the animal world on our planet.

Uranus is a gas giant. Most of Uranus (more than 80%) consists of a hot and dense liquid of "ice" materials - water (H2O), methane (CH4) and ammonia (NH3), which are located on the floor of the rocky core.
The orientation of Uranus in space differs from the other planets of the solar system - its axis of rotation lies, as it were, “on its side” relative to the plane of revolution of this planet around the Sun. As a result, the planet turns towards the Sun alternately north pole, then the southern, then the equator, then the middle latitudes.

The largest mollusk, and indeed invertebrate in general, is the giant squid Architeuthis dux. The length of the largest currently known squid is 18.5 meters. It was caught in New Zealand in 1880. They say that the first mention of these mythical (then) sea animals dates back to 1555. Squids were called both sea snakes and octopuses, and at the same time, for a very long time they refused to believe in their existence. For the first time photographing a living Architeuthis dux in its natural environment Japanese scientists were able to find habitats in September 2007. Now in the British Museum of Natural History (Natural History Museum), a 9-meter specimen is stored in the form of a wet preparation (Based on materials from the magazine Membrana).

The largest of the bivalve mollusks is the tridactna (Tridacna gigas). Its weight can reach 333 kg, and the width of the shell is 1.4 meters. The tridactna shell is often used as a baby bath. In Notre Dame Cathedral, a tridactna shell serves as a baptismal font. There is an opinion that tridactna is dangerous for divers, since when disturbed it can trap the diver’s hand between the valves. However, in fact, it does not pose a danger to divers, unless they are too slow or reckless (stupid).

The largest gastropod gill mollusk is Syrinx aruanus, for which individuals are known with a shell 80 cm long and weighing 18 kg.

The largest land mollusk is Achatina fulica, whose leg size can reach 39 centimeters and weighs 900 grams.

Details of the movement of aquatic snails along the surface of lakes and rivers were revealed by engineer Eric Lauga from the University of California at San Diego (UCSD). The secret of the movement is the wave-like movements of the leg (the test subject was a snail of the species Sorbeoconcha physidae). Water “resists” disturbances; it “wants” to remain smooth, the researcher explained. So the waves on the snail's leg create water waves, which provide driving force. The leg deforms the free surface, thereby creating a pressure gradient and generating flows inside the thin layer of mucus that separates the snail from the water surface,” explains the experimenter. (According to Membrana magazine)

Dr. Benjamin Hochner and his colleagues at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem discovered that the octopus, which has virtually infinite degrees of freedom in its tentacles, can form a human-like "arm joint" when eating to carry food to its mouth. (By materials from Membrana magazine).

Clams are incredibly powerful. If a person had the same strength, then a fifty-kilogram person could easily rise vertically upward with a load of half a ton.

Unusual found in Cuba sea ​​clam, emitting light signals when irritated. This discovery was made by Cuban and Spanish researchers working on the island with the Macaronesia 2000 underwater fauna research project (Macaronesia 2000) (Based on materials from Oceanology.ru)

Shells of land mollusks have been found even in the Nazca Desert. It has been established that the Nazca Plateau was once covered with forests

Scientists have found that the shells of bivalve mollusks (and the epithecus of corals) bear daily traces of growth in the form of lines, by counting which the number of days and months in a year can be determined. Similar ones showed that in the Paleozoic there were more days per year than now. These data were confirmed by calculations by astronomers and geophysicists.

Mollusks from the family Conidae (cones) are very beautiful and are often found in collections. However, these mollusks are very poisonous. Being predators, cones hunt fish by harpooning them with a greatly enlarged radula tooth. Through this harpoon, the mollusk injects strong poison into the body of the victim. A number of cones are so poisonous that they can cause serious harm or even kill a person. Most often this happens when people collect shells on the shore or in shallow water.

Interesting facts about shellfish.

1. The largest clam ever caught weighed about 340 kilograms. It was caught in Okinawa, Japan in 1956.

2. The oldest clam caught by humans was estimated to be around 405 years old, possibly making it the oldest marine animal.

3. The age of mollusks can be determined by the number of rings on the shell valve. Each ring differs from the previous one due to the characteristics of the food consumed during this period, the state of the environment, temperature and the amount of oxygen in the water.

4. The main type of food of mollusks is plankton, which they filter from the water.

5. Oysters can change sex. One season a woman, the next a man.

6. An oyster can produce about a million eggs in one season. However, only a few will be able to survive and grow to adulthood.

7. Some varieties of scallops have dozens blue eyes along the edges of the shell. With their help, scallops can notice predators and escape in time.

8. Bivalves can move. Scallops, for example, rhythmically squeezing their valves and throwing out a stream of water can swim quite far from their enemies - starfish.

9. Nudibranchs number about 3,000 species, beautiful and poisonous inhabitants of the seas, characterized by a complete absence of shell. However appearance deceptive. Nudibranchs are very poisonous; just touching such a beauty can remove the skin from your hand. Another feature of these creatures is the presence of genital organs on the tail and head. These mollusks range in size from 6 millimeters to 31 centimeters. Nudibranchs feed on algae, anemones and even other mollusks. They owe their beautiful coloring to what they eat. Here are some photos of these beautiful and extraordinary creatures.

10. The world's largest bivalve mollusk is the giant tridacna. The diameter of its shell can reach two meters and its weight can reach 250 kilograms. This giant lives in tropical waters and can safely settle at depths of up to one hundred meters. Also widespread among aquarium enthusiasts. IN Lately The tridacna has been practically exterminated, but there remains hope that this miracle of nature will survive at depth, where it is more difficult to obtain.

11. The largest mollusk in the world (also the largest invertebrate in the world) is a giant squid called Architeuthis dux. Its length is more than 18 meters. This representative of invertebrates was caught in 1880 in New Zealand. The first mention of them dates back to 1555. At that time, squids were called octopuses, sea snakes, and people in general for a long time refused to believe in their existence. Japanese scientists were able to photograph Architeuthis dux for the first time in 2007.

12. The @ symbol, which we call “dog,” is called “happy snail” by Koreans.

13. The most beautiful, but deadliest sea wasp in Australia is the most poisonous jellyfish all over the world. Off the coast of Queensland, 66 people have died from its poison since 1880.

14. In Japanese cuisine there is a very interesting dish called “dancing squid”. The freshly killed mollusk is placed in a bowl of rice, soy sauce is poured on top, and it is at this moment that the squid begins its dance, moving its tentacles. This effect is explained by the unusual structure of nerve fibers, which, even after their death, react to the sodium contained in the sauce, and this causes the muscles to contract.

15. Empty mollusk shells were found in the Nazca Desert, which, as we know, was previously covered with continuous forest.

16. An unusual thing was found in Cuba interesting mollusk, which emits light signals during stimulation. It was discovered by Spanish and Cuban researchers who worked on the island to study the underwater fauna of Macaronesia 2000.

17. Clam cones, belonging to the family Conidae are extremely beautiful and very often found in collections. But they are very poisonous and are predators by nature. When hunting fish, they harpoon it with a greatly enlarged tooth, through which they inject strong poison into the body of the victim. Some cones are so poisonous that they can even kill a person. This happens when people collect shells from shallow waters or shores.

18. Not only some plants can carry out photosynthesis. The sea slug Elysia chlorotica, which lives only on glucose, obtains it from the chloroplasts of the algae Vaucheria litorea. This mollusk achieves this by assimilating chloroplasts directly into the cells of its digestive tract, and after this process photosynthesis begins: the genome encodes the proteins that the chloroplasts need, and in return it receives synthesized glucose.

19. The sound of the sea in souvenir shellfish shells is the noise of your environment, which resonates with the cavities of the shell. This effect can be achieved without a mollusk shell by placing a bent palm or a mug to your ear.

20. In France and England in the first half of the 19th century, oysters were considered food for the poor who could not afford to buy meat. However, uncontrolled fishing of these mollusks led to a sharp decline in the population of these individuals, and in the second half of the 19th century they became very expensive, becoming a delicacy.

21. Starfish can feed without swallowing food. For example, when encountering a bivalve mollusk, she grabs it and turns the lower stomach outward. This, in turn, penetrates the shell, enveloping the softest parts of the mollusk, and subsequently digests them. The starfish then draws in the resulting solution.

22. An octopus, in order to hide from its enemies, can adapt to the color of the soil or water, changing the texture and color of its skin.

23. Thanks to changes in their shells, mollusks are able to maintain body temperature, preventing it from rising to the lethal threshold of +38 degrees. Moreover, this happens even when the air warms up to +42.

Mollusk – amazing creature, which amazes with its beauty, many interesting properties and unusual facts.

© Inga Korneshova especially for the site

Mollusk Arctica islandica, living in the waters of the Atlantic and North Arctic Oceans, can live about 500 years. This is one of the longest living creatures on Earth.

On an industrial scale, the cultivation of shellfish was organized in Japan in 1915. The essence this method comes down to placing a particle in the shell, around which the mollusk builds up the mineral. The method was invented by Kokichi Mikimoto, who received a patent for his invention.

The marine Elysia chlorotica assimilates chloroplasts from the algae Vaucheria litorea, which are capable of in slug cells for several months.

In gastropods with a turbo-spiral shell shape, the liver is located in the last turns of the spiral

The fish is not naturally poisonous. She collects only when she eats poisonous starfish and shellfish. If you put it on a non-toxic diet from birth, the tetrodotoxin content in the fish will be zero. However, without its toxin, the pufferfish becomes just another type of fish - quite tasty, but of no interest to gourmets. The secret of the popularity of fugu is in the acute sense of risk, for the sake of which the Japanese cook it.

For 150 years