Question

Which one belongs to Gastropoda?
(a) Clam
(b) Mussel
(c) Cuttlefish
(d) Snail

Answer 1

Hint: Gastropoda belongs to the phylum Mollusca which is soft-bodied shelled animals. The body is differentiated into head, visceral hump and foot. The shell of molluscs is calcareous which lie internal or external to the body surface.

Complete Answer:
Gastropoda is the largest class of molluscs. They are freshwater, terrestrial and marine forms. Their body consists of a single spirally coiled shell with distinct eyes and tentacles on the head and the foot is flat and muscular. The larval stage is bilaterally symmetrical but the adult stage does not show symmetry due to torsion. Snail, cowrie and slug are a common example of Gastropoda.

Additional information:
Snail is an amphibious mollusc commonly found in ponds, rivers and rice fields. They are herbivorous animal feed mainly on grasses and phytoplankton. In water, they flow through gills but on land, they respire through the lungs.
Clam belong to class Bivalvia, they are freshwater and marine form with the bilaterally compressed body present inside two hinged bivalve shells. The foot is wedge-shaped which helps to make it borrow in muds. The respiration clam draws water inside and expels it outside in a repeated manner.
Mussel is bivalve molluscs found in saltwater and freshwater. Body surface has smooth hairy covering inside the shell and they appear pearly. They get attached on the rock with the help of proteinaceous thread. Some species of molluscs found in soft mud while some species found in the soft part of the wood.
Cuttlefish belong to class Cephalopoda. They are bilaterally symmetrical, found in shallow coastal water of warm seas. They are carnivorous and feed on small aquatic animals. The body is divided into a globular head and shield-like trunk. Head bears large eyes with rings of 10 tentacles. It changes its colour to camouflage enemies and for defence they release a dark cloud of ink.

So, the correct answer is ‘Snail’.

Note: Freshwater snail carries parasitic disease which nearly infected millions of the population that's why it is considered as the world's most deadly parasite. The parasitic disease includes fascioliasis, paragonimiasis, angiostrongyliasis, etc.