CLASS APLACOPHORA (a, without + plak, plate + phoros, to bear)

CLASS APLACOPHORA (a, without + plak, plate + phoros, to bear)

Members of the class Aplacophora are called solenogasters. They have approximately 250 species. These are cylindrical molluscs. They lack a shell and crawl on their ventral surface. Their nervous system is ladder like. It resembles the nervous system of flatworm. It suggests that this group may be closely related to the ancestral molluscan stock. One small group of aplacophorans contains burrowing species. These species feed on microorganism and detritus. They possess a radula and nephridia. Most aplacophorans lack nephridia and radula. They are surface dwellers on corals and other substrates. Some are carnivores and feed on cnidarian polyps.

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• CLASSIFICATION
• OBJECTIVES
• CLASS CAUDOFOVEATA (cauda, tail + fovea, small pit)
• CLASS POLYPLACOPHORA
• MOLLUSCAN CHARACTERISTICS