The importance of

molluscs
By luis go
• Mollusks are important in a variety of ways; they
are used as food, for decoration, in jewelry, and
in scientific studies. They are even used as
roadbed material and in vitamin supplements.
• Edible species of mollusks include numerous
species of clams, mussels, oysters,
scallops, marine and land snails, squid, and
octopuses. Many species of mollusks, such
as oysters, are farmed in order to produce
more than could be found in the wild
• when it comes to a question of survival, most
mollusks are edible. Some are considered
delicacies such as oysters and escargot (a snail
that lives in trees), while others such as the
clams and mussels of freshwater ponds and
streams are less likely to be consumed due to
taste, but none-the-less are very edible. Land-
based mollusks are also eaten. France alone
consumes 5 million pounds of escargot every
year.
• Two natural products of mollusks used for
decorations and jewelry are pearls and nacre.
A pearlis the hard, round object produced within
the mantle of a living shelled mollusk. Pearls are
produced by many bivalves when a tiny particle
of sand or grit is trapped between the mantle
• Several mollusks are ideal subjects for scientific
investigation of the nervous system. The giant squid has
a sophisticated nervous system and a complex brain for
study. The California sea slug, also called the California
sea hare, is used in studies of learning and memory
because it has a simple nervous system, consisting of just
a few thousand large, easily identified neurons.
These neurons are responsible for a variety of learning
tasks. Some slug brain studies have even allowed
scientists to better understand human brains. Some
octopuses and squid are incredibly smart. They are