MOLLUSCS
Invertebrate
Invertebrate
After insects, molluscs are the largest group of animals
- They have soft, muscular bodies, often covered with a shell
- The largest mollusc is the Giant Clam
- Most Clams begin life as males, but half of them turn female when older
- The oldest animal ever found was a 405-year old Icelandic Clam. It was killed by researchers trying to work out its age
- A baby Oyster is called a 'spat'
- Scallops have up to 100 eyes around the edge of the shell
- Scallops are bi-valves
- Scallops are free-swimmers. They swim by clapping their shells together quickly, moving a jet of water past the shell hinge and propelling them forward
- The Giant Squid's eye can measure up to 25cm in diameter
- The pupil if an Octopus is rectangular
- A Squid has 10 tentacles
- The Giant Arctic Jellyfish tentacles ca reach 120 feet
- The Giant Pacific Octopus can squeeze its entire body through a hole the size of its beak
- If a snail loses its eye, it can grow another one
- Crabs have hairs on their claws and other parts of their body to detect water current and vibration
- The African Giant Snail lays up to 1,200 eggs per year
- Oysters can change gender depending upon which is best for mating
- Scallops caught in Brittany are shipped to China for cleaning and then sent back to France to be cooked and eaten!
|
With shell
|
Without Shell
|
|
SIMILES
Clam As happy as a clam Oyster As close as an oyster Snail As slow as a snail IDIOMS, METAPHORS AND EXPRESSIONS
Clams
Crabs
Cockles
Oysters
Snails
Whelk
GIANT BLACK CLAM
A SCALLOP - The blue orbs are its eyes
|
COLLECTIVE NOUNS
Clams A bed of clams Cockles A bed of cockles Mussels A bed of mussels Octopus A consortium of octopus Oysters A bed of oysters A cast of oysters A clutch of oysters A hive of oysters Slugs A cornucopia of slugs A phlegm of slugs A slime of slugs Snails An escargatoire of snails A rout of snails A trail of snails A walk of snails Squid An audience of squid A roundup of squid 
AFRICAN GIANT SNAIL
COCKLE
|
OPEN OYSTER
|
SNAIL
|
CUTTLEFISH
|
SQUID
|
LIMPET SHELL WITH BARNACLES
|
SCALLOPS
|
GIAN CLAM
|
OCTOPUS
|
CHITON
|
OPEN CLAM
|