Name: _____________________________________________
Comparing Mollusks Chart
Using what you know about the three major classes of mollusks, complete
the chart below by checking the correct column or columns for each
characteristic.
Characteristic
Type of Mollusk
Gastropods Bivalves
1. Intelligent, well developed nervous system
2. Has no distinct head
3. Has an open circulatory system
4. External shells present in some species
5. Bite prey with beak
6. All species are carnivorous predators
7. Uses a radula for feeding
8. Can change color for camouflage
9. Can form pearls
10. Use a type of jet propulsion for movement
11. Has bilateral symmetry
12. Has a two part hinged shell
13. Is an invertebrate
14. Some species are venomous
Types of Mollusks Word Search
OCTOPUS
CLAM
SLUG
SQUID
OYSTER
NAUTILUS
NUDIBRANCH
SCALLOP
CUTTLEFISH
LIMPET
CHITON
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Cephalopods
Circle the number of the statements that are incorrect.
1. Bivalves have a shell divided into two parts joined by a hinge.
2. Mollusks come in only one shape.
3. Cephalopods include snails, slugs, abalones, and conches.
4. The mantle of a mollusk is a covering over the soft body.
5. Bivalves are very well adapted to living in water.
6. Cephalopods create pearls with their tentacles.
7. The empty shells of mollusks provide homes for hermit crabs.
8. Gastropods move by muscular contractions of the foot.
9. The word mollusk comes from a Latin word meaning “two-shelled.”
10. Clams, oysters, and scallops are all gastropods.
11. The radula is a tongue-like organ of gastropods that works like a file with rows of teeth.
12. No gastropod is able to live on land.
13. Most mollusks have an open circulatory system.
14. Unlike the other mollusks, cephalopods have a closed circulatory system.
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