Aplacophora facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Aplacophora |
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| Epimenia verrucosa | |
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Aplacophora
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The Aplacophora are a group of small, worm-like sea creatures. They are a special type of mollusc, which means they are related to snails, clams, and octopuses. Unlike most molluscs, Aplacophora do not have a shell.
These interesting animals live deep in the ocean. You can find them in all oceans around the world. They are usually quite small, often about an inch (2.5 cm) long.
What Are Aplacophora?
Most Aplacophora live in the deep parts of the ocean. Some kinds like to burrow into the sand and mud on the ocean floor. Here, they find food like small worms and other tiny creatures without backbones.
Other types of Aplacophora are a bit different. They live on corals and hydroids, which are small animals related to jellyfish. They get their food by living on these corals.
How Were They Discovered?
For a long time, scientists were not sure where Aplacophora fit in the animal kingdom. They were even thought to be a type of sea cucumber! Sea cucumbers are part of the echinoderm group, which also includes starfish and sea urchins.
But in 1987, scientists officially recognized Aplacophora as molluscs. They were given their very own group, or "class," within the molluscs. This helped us understand more about these unique ocean dwellers.
Images for kids
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Epimenia babai, a type of Aplacophora
See also
In Spanish: Aplacophora para niños
