Gastropod classification and taxonomy

Venkatesan, V and Mohamed, K S (2015) Gastropod classification and taxonomy. [Teaching Resource]

Preview

PDF 07_V._Venkatesan2.pdf Download (76kB)

Abstract

Gastropods are a large and highly diversified class within the phylum Mollusca. Many gastropods possess a shell whereas some are without shells. The shelled gastropods are also called univalves. Some of these gastropods are terrestrial while other gastropods live in marine or freshwater habitat. There are approximately 85,000 - 100000 described species of molluscs (Strong et al., 2008) found throughout the world from the garden to deep-water hydrothermal vent colonies. Current estimates place the total number of molluscs including undescribed species as high as 240,000 species (Appeltan et al., 2011). Gastropods encompass 80 % of living molluscs species. In the conventional division of subclass, recognized species of prosobranchs (largely marine, but with terrestrial and freshwater representatives) formed 53 % followed by pulmonates (43% - terrestrial and freshwater, few marine littoral) and opisthobranchs (4% - marine) (Boss, 1971). Gastropods are considered as the oldest known fossils with their shells being evolved in rocks 540 million years ago. Many of the today’s gastropod species have continued unaltered for over 350 million years.

Item Type:	Teaching Resource
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Gastropod classification; gastropod taxonomy
Subjects:	Marine Ecosystems > Coral Reefs > Taxonomy Molluscan Fisheries > Gastropods
Divisions:	CMFRI-Kochi > Marine Capture > Molluscan Fisheries Division Subject Area > CMFRI > CMFRI-Kochi > Marine Capture > Molluscan Fisheries Division CMFRI-Kochi > Marine Capture > Molluscan Fisheries Division Subject Area > CMFRI-Kochi > Marine Capture > Molluscan Fisheries Division
Depositing User:	Arun Surendran
Date Deposited:	23 Jun 2015 06:15
Last Modified:	09 Sep 2015 16:01
URI:	http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/id/eprint/10412

Actions (login required)

View Item