Which group includes soft-bodied animals such as clams, snails, and slugs?

Which group includes soft-bodied animals such as clams, snails, and slugs?

• A. Mollusk
• B. Mite
• C. Insect
• D. IPM

Answer: (A)

Identifying broad animal groups by body plan. Soft-bodied animals such as clams, snails, and slugs belong to the mollusks. Mollusks are a diverse group of invertebrates that typically have a soft body and a specialized body plan, including a muscular foot and a mantle, with many species forming a calcium carbonate shell (like clams and many snails). Slugs are mollusks too, but they have a reduced or absent shell. This grouping distinguishes them from mites and insects, which are arthropods with external skeletons and segmented bodies (mites have eight legs as arachnids; insects have six legs). IPM stands for integrated pest management, not a biological group. So the correct group for these soft-bodied animals is mollusks.

Identifying broad animal groups by body plan. Soft-bodied animals such as clams, snails, and slugs belong to the mollusks. Mollusks are a diverse group of invertebrates that typically have a soft body and a specialized body plan, including a muscular foot and a mantle, with many species forming a calcium carbonate shell (like clams and many snails). Slugs are mollusks too, but they have a reduced or absent shell. This grouping distinguishes them from mites and insects, which are arthropods with external skeletons and segmented bodies (mites have eight legs as arachnids; insects have six legs). IPM stands for integrated pest management, not a biological group. So the correct group for these soft-bodied animals is mollusks.