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Invertebrates - Part II

© Winston Vaughan Schoenfeld

This editorial will deal with another class of invertebrates - those in the phylum mollusca. If you missed the previous article, you may want to start there. This group of invertebrates contains a vast number of species, many of which do very well in marine aquariums. This phylum contains species often with shells to protect their soft bodies. Some example species are clams, the octopus, nudibranchs, and scallops. These animals all have blood systems, can reproduce, and have mouths and nervous systems.

As mentioned above, a great deal of these invertebrates live in shells to protect their soft bodies. The first examples of such invertebrates are conchs, cowries, and tulips (all commonly known as shells). Interestingly, these species tend to do very well in aquariums. They are often good scavengers and readily feed on such foods as small bits of shrimp.

Perhaps one of my most favorite invertebrates is the nudibranch. These amazing creatures are perhaps one of the most fascinating of all - anyone who has had a chance, while diving, to see these "sea slugs" will agree that they come in some of the most brilliant colors. For those of you who are not aware of what a nudibranch is, simply put, they are sea slugs (synonymous with the land slug) with "exposed gills" (i.e. no shell). Nudibranchs feed on corals and sponges, making them suitable for most reef systems.

Another one of the more well-known invertebrate groups is that encompassing clams, scallops, and mussels. These all fall under what are known as "bivalves". This stems from the fact that they possess two halves to their shell. Perhaps the most popular species from this group are giant clams. These wonderful bivalves often appear quite "dull" on the exterior; however, a quick glance into their inner shell reveals a vast number of mystifying colors. Another admirable characteristic of clams is their ability to be very self-sufficient, requiring little additional food other than what they can provide for themselves.

The final group of invertebrates I would like to cover in this article is the cephalopods. Now that most of you are completely stumped by what I am talking about, let me say that this is simply the class of invertebrates that includes such species as the octopus and squid. Of these, I have seen quite a few octopi in aquariums. The first two things you will notice when looking at an aquarium with an octopus are (1) octopi are mainly nocturnal creatures (they come out at night) and (2) the aquarium is equipped with a very tight lid. Octopi are extremely intelligent creatures (many experiments have been and continue to be conducted to look into their intelligence) and have an overwhelmingly large interest in exploring areas outside of the aquarium. Most of the species in this class of invertebrates feed well on pieces of shrimp, fish, or crabs. Many do very well in properly maintained aquariums, although their cost can often be rather high.

The copyright of the article Invertebrates - Part II in Aquariums is owned by Winston Vaughan Schoenfeld. Permission to republish Invertebrates - Part II in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.