All mollusks build their own shells, whether they live in water or on land. Creatures like snails, clams, oysters and mussels use an organ called a mantle to secrete layers of calcium carbonate ...

Bullish (Video) Snails: Mollusk Movement and Shell Biology - Educational Film Posted: March 21, 2025 | Last updated: March 21, 2025 *Life Story of the Snail* (1963) is an **11-minute color ...

Many groups are also excellent indicators of past environmental conditions. The mollusc collection is one of the largest in the Museum, with more than five million specimens. Our collection contains ...

Remarkably, giant clams may be the only mollusk that’s sensitive to ultraviolet rays. Come nightfall, the giant clam closes its shell. The mantle on its shell also contains two holes ...

The oyster or mussel slowly secretes layers of aragonite and conchiolin, materials that also make up its shell. This creates a material called nacre, also known as mother-of-pearl, which encases the ...