Mollusks

Today and yesterday I learned about mollusks. They can have the most unusual shapes. Mollusks are squids, octopuses, clams, slugs, snails, murexes, and oysters.

Most mollusks have a flat foot that they use to crawl around with. They leave a trail of slime to help them move. There are about 100,000 types of mollusks.

The squid. They can be as big as 65 feet. No squid has ever been caught alive.

The Great Giant Pacific Octopus. It lives from Alaska to Japan in the North Pacific Ocean. They can weight 100 pounds and be 15 feet long. They live alone in dens. After the babies are born the mother octopus will die! They look mean!

The Blue-Ringed Octopus. This octopus lives in the coral reefs of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. They are only 4 inches long BUT they are so poisonous that a human can die from their bite in 15 minutes. Look out for them!

Giant Clam. They are over 3 feet long and can weigh over 400 pounds. They are safe creatures that only eat algae.

Murexes. They chase after other mollusks and bore holes in their shells. They secrete purple dye that has been used for centuries. They are found in the Indo-Pacific. They are only 6 inches long.