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Mollusks Trivia Questions and Answers

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1. The giant African snail, or giant African land snail, can be found in many humid tropics and mild climates, including many Pacific islands, southern and eastern Asia, and the Caribbean, but from where did these giant snails originate?


Answer: Kenya and Tanzania

Interesting Information:
Now that the pun's out of the way I can write the rest of the quiz! Though native to East Africa, the snail has made its way to India, the West Indies, China and the USA. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: The Giant African Snail - Pet, Pest, or Snack?
 
Some incorrect choices:
The end of giants' fingers, Guinea and Sierra Leone, Nigeria

2. Due to the fact that the scallop can be found in all of the world's oceans, what taxonomical distribution do they belong to?


Answer: Cosmopolitan distribution

Interesting Information:
Cosmopolitan distribution is a bio-geographical term that denotes living creatures that are located in a large portion of the world as long as the habitat permits their survival. Endemism is the exact opposite of this in which a living creature is unique to a specific location (e.g. an island). The scallop is classed as a free-living creature, with some being active swimmers. They are found throughout the world's oceans, but not in freshwater locations. Their typical natural habitat includes shallow waters among rock, coral, sand, or mud. Difficulty: Easy.

From Quiz: The Prized Scallop
 
Some incorrect choices:
Endemism, Extinction, Degenerate distribution

3. Where would you be most likely to find a cone snail?


Answer: On a coral reef

Interesting Information:
Named for their cone-shaped shells, cone snails are some of the many animals that can be found on or around coral reefs. Their habitat includes the eastern and central Indian Ocean, the tropical Indian Ocean as well as the western and central Pacific Ocean. They can also be found in the Mediterranean. Difficulty: Easy.

From Quiz: Beautiful but Deadly
 
Some incorrect choices:
In your garden, In a forest, In a freshwater lake

4. The giant Pacific octopus is a top predator, feeding on bivalves, crustaceans, mollusks and fish. Part of its extraordinary hunting ability comes from the suckers on the arms. What sense do the suckers use to help the octopus hunt?


Answer: All of these

Interesting Information:
A mature female giant Pacific octopus has 280 suckers on each arm. Not only do they have chemoreceptors for tasting and smelling, but the internal structure has been described as a "Chinese finger trap": the harder you pull, the harder it is to get away! Difficulty: Easy.

From Quiz: The Giant Pacific Octopus
 
Some incorrect choices:
Taste, Smell, Touch

5. Which goddess from Greek mythology emerged from the sea on an oyster shell?


Answer: Aphrodite

Interesting Information:
Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love and beauty. (As a result, oysters are now considered to be linked with eternal love.)
Oysters were even traded by Roman emperors for gold, and long considered a delicacy. Although they are highly nutritious, it is unfortunate that many people believe these brilliant creatures are valuable for no more than a delicious entrée. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: The Oyster: Great Mother of Pearls!
 
Some incorrect choices:
Athena, Minerva, Artemis

6. Squid are marine animals belonging to the phylum Mollusca. Of the animals listed below, which is the closest relative to the squid?


Answer: snail

Interesting Information:
Squid and snails both belong to the phylum Mollusca. This means they share typical characteristics of a soft body, a muscular foot, and a mantle which encloses the internal organs and secretes a shell.

The incorrect answer options are marine animals that belong to other phyla. Sea urchins belong to Echinodermata, jellyfish belong to Cnidaria, and shrimp belong to Arthropoda. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Are You Squidding Me?
 
Some incorrect choices:
sea urchin, jellyfish, shrimp

7. Well now that we have got into the swing of things, what do you think that an Ellipsaria lineolata is, if you are told that you are looking for a "type of swimming insect"?


Answer: Butterfly

Interesting Information:
Ellipsaria lineota or butterfly mussel is on the endangered list. Found in large rivers, it likes a stable environment that contains rock, gravel and sand. Butterfly is one of the four swimming strokes. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Working Out Your Mussels
 
Some incorrect choices:
Moth, Crawl, Ant

8. How does a cone snail inject venom into its victims?


Answer: Through a tiny hollow tooth

Interesting Information:
Cone snails inject venom into their victims by firing tiny hollow teeth out of their snouts. They feed on various things including fish, worms and other mollusks. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Beautiful but Deadly
 
Some incorrect choices:
Through barbs on its shell, Through a gland on its foot, Through a pair of tentacles

9. The third right arm of a male octopus has a special tip, called the ligula. What function does the ligula serve?


Answer: It presents a spermatophore to the female.

Interesting Information:
Octopuses do not have sex like mammals do. The male produces spermatophores, sperm packets that look like long white straws. The male uses the ligula to give the spermatophore to the female.

When she has extracted the sperm, she may eat the empty spermatophore for a protein-rich snack! (Take that, PowerBar.) Difficulty: Average.

From Quiz: The Giant Pacific Octopus
 
Some incorrect choices:
It feeds a female food in the mating ritual., It senses when a female is around., We don't know what it does.

10. What is the usual method of locomotion for a bivalve?


Answer: All of these depending on the species

Interesting Information:
Some bivalves can swim at an impressive rate, such as the razor clam, which uses its foot to swim, and the scallop, which flexes its valves rapidly, ejecting water around the hinge to propel itself through the water. Many also use their foot to burrow into the sand. Some are static and attach themselves to surfaces, including some oysters and mussels. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Bivalve Basics
 
Some incorrect choices:
Using its foot, Bivalves are static, Squirting water

11. Ostreidae is the scientific name for the edible oyster. Which genus is that of the pearl-forming oysters?


Answer: Pinctada

Interesting Information:
There are many types of pearl-creating oysters, including the Gulf pearl oyster, black-lipped oyster, white/gold-lipped oyster, Shark Bay pearl oyster, and Japanese pearl oyster.
Each of these species belong to the Pinctada genus and are of high commercial interest for harvesting fine pearls. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: The Oyster: Great Mother of Pearls!
 
Some incorrect choices:
Crassostrea, Bivalvia, Mollusc

12. Squid belong to a group of molluscs known as decapods. What does this indicate they have ten of?


Answer: feet or limbs

Interesting Information:
Within the phylum Mollusca, decapods belong to a group (a super-order) known as Decapodiformes - not to be confused with another group of marine animals, also called decapods, which belong to a different phylum - phylum Arthropoda, class Crustacea, order Decapoda.

Literally translated the word decapod means "ten-footed". Molluscan decapods have ten limbs, specifically eight shorter arms and two longer tentacles, and include squid and cuttlefish. Crustacean decapods include shrimp, crabs, lobsters, and crayfish. Difficulty: Easy.

From Quiz: Are You Squidding Me?
 
Some incorrect choices:
eyes, antennae, hearts

13. Scallops can have up to one hundred eyes along their mantle. What colour of eyes do scallops have?


Answer: Blue

Interesting Information:
Scallops have eyes that are roughly one millimeter in size and may have up to one hundred of them lined around their mantle. It is believed that the main purpose behind these eyes is to detect threats. Scallops are believed by scientists to use their eyes to scan for shadows that they perceive as predators or threats. Due to their ability to swim freely, they are able to travel distances when threatened. Their eyes also serve a secondary purpose, and this is feeding behavior. As scallops feed on particulate matter such as algae and plankton, their eyes allow them to detect particle matter in the water that is often too difficult for other sea creatures to see. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: The Prized Scallop
 
Some incorrect choices:
Red, Black, Yellow

14. Like most sea creatures, the nautilus is fairly buoyant. How does a nautilus keep from sinking as it moves?


Answer: The nautilus shell is chambered, holding gas inside

Interesting Information:
The shape of the nautilus shell can be described by a logarithmic spiral, a mathematical curve studied extensively by Jacob Bernoulli. This same spiral can be used to describe the shape of hurricanes and certain galaxies. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: The Nimble Nautilus
 
Some incorrect choices:
The soft body of the nautilus contains multiple air sacs, The nautilus uses its tentacles to quickly propel itself through water, The nautilus has gills, which filter enough oxygen into its flesh to float

15. In 2009, an American woman was in the news for giving birth to octuplets, bringing her total number of children to 14. The tabloids dubbed her "Octomom." How many times can real octo-moms reproduce?


Answer: Once in their lives.

Interesting Information:
The giant Pacific octopus is semelparous, meaning that it reproduces once. Males usually go senescent a few weeks after they mate (meaning that they stop eating, their intelligence deteriorates, and they soon die). Females lay eggs, care for the eggs, and die about the time their eggs hatch.

We humans are iteroparous, meaning that we can reproduce repeatedly. Someone should have told the tabloids that "Octomom" is not a biologically accurate nickname. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: The Giant Pacific Octopus
 
Some incorrect choices:
Twice in their lives., Once a year., Twice a year.

16. Where would you find a bivalve's lamellibranch?


Answer: Its gills

Interesting Information:
Bivalves have four types of gills among them, which are called photobranch, filibranch, septibranch and lamellibranch, which describe their structures. Lamellibranch gills are translated as 'plate-like'. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Bivalve Basics
 
Some incorrect choices:
Its pearl, They don't have any, Its gut

17. Squid have an internal body part known as a "pen". In this context, what is a pen?


Answer: shell

Interesting Information:
Most molluscs have an external shell; a few lack a shell. The squid, however, has an internal shell called a pen or gladius. Gladius is a Latin word meaning sword, indicating that the shape of the shell resembles a sword. Its function is to act as support for the body and to provide a place for muscles to attach. The pen is made of a chemical called chitin and resembles translucent plastic. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Are You Squidding Me?
 
Some incorrect choices:
gill, gut, gonad

18. Mollusks have which three body parts?


Answer: foot, visceral mass, mantle

Interesting Information:
The foot of a mollusk may be modified to become tentacles. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: I Mollusca!
 
Some incorrect choices:
visceral mass, gills, mantle, foot, mantle, tail, tentacles, shell, mantle

19. Three giant African snails were introduced to Florida in 1966. Within seven years the three grew into how many plant eating pests?


Answer: 18,000

Interesting Information:
The giant African snail is a hermaphrodite, meaning any two snails could mate, each producing an average of 200 eggs, though one could lay as many as 500! Each snail can lay six clutches a year, and each clutch has a 90% hatching viability. Eggs hatch between 11 and 15 days, and require no parental input. Each hatched egg could grow to adult sized within a year and then live a further nine years! Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: The Giant African Snail - Pet, Pest, or Snack?
 
Some incorrect choices:
1,800, 180, 180,000

20. Which two colours are displayed on the shell of the marbled cone snail?


Answer: Black and white

Interesting Information:
The shell of the marbled cone is black with white triangles in assorted sizes.

The shell of the geography cone is white with brown patches.

The shell of the sunburnt cone is brown with a grey spiral, while the shell of the cloth of gold cone is white with bright gold patches. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Beautiful but Deadly
 
Some incorrect choices:
White and gold, White and brown, Brown and grey

21. Unlike squid and octopi, nautili are not typically eaten by humans. What does the diet of the nautilus typically consist of?


Answer: Crab and other small crustaceans

Interesting Information:
The nautilus does not expend much energy with normal bodily functions. Because of this, the nautilus only needs to feed once per month. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: The Nimble Nautilus
 
Some incorrect choices:
Seaweed and other plant material, Other nautili, Plankton

22. Octopuses are in the class Cephalopoda, meaning head-foot. (I think you can guess why.) What group of animals would you be most likely to see at an octopus family reunion?


Answer: Marine snails

Interesting Information:
Octopuses, like the marine snails, are molluscs. Molluscs are all invertebrates (no spine). They both have a special raspy tongue called a radula and similar internal organs. The snail's large, muscular foot and the octopus' arms are evolved from the same ancestor.

Sea stars are also invertebrates, but they belong to the echinoderm phylum. Swordfish and snakes are vertebrates (animals with spines), so they are not closely related to the octopus. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: The Giant Pacific Octopus
 
Some incorrect choices:
Sea stars, Swordfish, Snakes

23. Oysters create pearls by secreting _________, made up of calcium carbonate, which builds up in layers and becomes lustrous and shiny.


Answer: Nacre

Interesting Information:
Nacre is the substance more commonly known as the "mother-of-pearl". It is released by the oyster only after a foreign substance of some type (a grain of sand, a piece of rock, or even a parasite) has entered the shell and caused irritation. This defensive tactic causes layers of nacre to build up around the intruder and eventually become smooth and round. (Hence, the pearl.) The creation of a pearl takes years, depending on size. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: The Oyster: Great Mother of Pearls!

24. How many hearts does a squid have?


Answer: 3

Interesting Information:
Squid have three hearts. Two are called branchial hearts; their function is to pump blood to the gills, where oxygen is taken up. Branchial means pertaining to the gills. Blood then flows to the third or systemic heart, where the oxygenated blood is pumped to the rest of the body. Difficulty: Easy.

From Quiz: Are You Squidding Me?
 
Some incorrect choices:
1, 10, 4

25. The shell of some mollusks is created by which body part?


Answer: mantle

Interesting Information:
Not all mollusks have a shell, for example slugs, nudibranchs, octopus do not. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: I Mollusca!
 
Some incorrect choices:
digestive system, coelom, gills

26. What are the two distinct colors of scallop roe?


Answer: Red and white

Interesting Information:
Scallops are strange creatures in the sense that, re-productively, they may be either hermaphrodites (both sexes within the same individual) or dioecious (separate males and females). The eggs (roe) of a scallop come in two distinct colors: red (sometimes an orange color) and white. Red roe are female while white roe are male. During the mating season, fertilized ova sink to the bottom of the ocean and after a period of several weeks, an immature scallop hatches. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: The Prized Scallop
 
Some incorrect choices:
Blue and purple, Green and brown, Black and gray

27. What is the commonest cause of pearl formation?


Answer: Parasites

Interesting Information:
In fact it is parasites, especially worms, that are the usual cause of pearl formation, rather than the commonly thought sand. Nacre is secreted to cover and isolate the parasite, rendering it harmless to its host. Mammals can also calcify foreign objects that get caught within their bodies. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Bivalve Basics
 
Some incorrect choices:
Sand, Climate, Disease

28. The largest oysters can grow up to three feet long in shell length. Which is the largest pearl-producing oyster?


Answer: Silver-lipped oyster

Interesting Information:
While the largest oysters can grow up to three feet (one meter), most oysters grow to be only a few inches long. The Akoya oyster produces saltwater cultured pearls in Japan. The black-lipped oyster grows large also, with adults capable of reaching ten pounds or more. The black-winged pearl oyster produces mabé pearls, which form on the shell rather than in the tissues.
The silver-lipped oyster is found in the South Seas, and is the largest oyster pearl-producing oyster. (This oyster is also known as the gold-lipped oyster.) Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: The Oyster: Great Mother of Pearls!
 
Some incorrect choices:
Akoya oyster, Black-lipped pearl oyster, Black-winged pearl oyster

29. When an octopus wants to, it can change color almost instantly! What are their color-changing skin cells called?


Answer: Chromatophores

Interesting Information:
Chromatophores, meaning "color carriers," are an octopus' secret weapon! They can use them to camouflage themselves so they can hide or sneak up on food. They can use them to communicate with other octopuses, too. Difficulty: Average.

From Quiz: The Giant Pacific Octopus
 
Some incorrect choices:
Chromalichters, Crumpets, Chlorosomes

30. What colour is squid blood?


Answer: blue

Interesting Information:
Animal blood comes in a variety of colours. In most cases, the colour is dependent upon the chemical composition of the substance in their blood which carries oxygen. Human blood gets its red colour from a protein in the blood cell called haemoglobin, which contains iron. Squid have blood which is a deep blue colour because it contains a similar protein called haemocyanin. Haemocyanin contains copper instead of iron. Difficulty: Easy.

From Quiz: Are You Squidding Me?
 
Some incorrect choices:
red, green, brown

31. As well as transmitting diseases between humans, giant African snails can carry parasites such as rat lungworm. What disease can this parasite cause in humans if you touch the wrong giant African snail?


Answer: Meningitis

Interesting Information:
Seriously, you do not want to handle or eat one of these snails without being sure of its origin. Meningitis is a terrible disease that affects the brain and spinal column. It can kill in hours. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: The Giant African Snail - Pet, Pest, or Snack?
 
Some incorrect choices:
Dysentery, Tuberculosis, Rabies

32. China claims to be the world's largest producer of scallops, often producing over a million metric tonnes of scallops per year. The majority of this production comes from what practice?


Answer: Aquaculture

Interesting Information:
Aquaculture is the practice of farming fish, mollusks, algae, and other aquatic organisms. It is also known as aqua-farming. Specifically, the farming of shrimp, oysters, and scallops is common around the world. The aquaculture industry is valued at billions of dollars per year. China has been reported to be the world's leader in production in the aquaculture industry often producing over a million tonnes of goods per year, although these numbers have been disputed by many scientists including the Fisheries and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) due to statistical inaccuracies in data. Difficulty: Easy.

From Quiz: The Prized Scallop
 
Some incorrect choices:
Deep sea diving, Hydroponics, Importation

33. The nautilus has quite a distinctive shape. Which island nation features the shape of the nautilus shell prominently on its national emblem?


Answer: New Caledonia

Interesting Information:
New Caledonia is a group of islands constituent to France, located off the Australian coast. The nautilus shell is featured on New Caledonia's national emblem, and an artistic rendition of the shell is found on the nation's government flag. New Caledonia features the nautilus because the mollusk is found in the waters surrounding Australia. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: The Nimble Nautilus
 
Some incorrect choices:
Aruba, New Zealand, French Polynesia

34. What is the commonest form of bivalve reproduction?


Answer: Sexual

Interesting Information:
Although some are hermaphrodite, most bivalve species have males and females and reproduce sexually. Oysters switch sexes during their lives, usually starting as males and ending as females. None produce asexually by budding like some lower forms of aquatic life. Bivalves have life cycles with immature stages before the adult emerges. Marine species usually have two, the first is called a trochophore, followed by a veliger. Freshwater bivalves usually have one, called a glochidium, which attaches to any static object to stop it being swept downstream. They often attach to fish, becoming a dangerous parasite when they do. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Bivalve Basics
 
Some incorrect choices:
Asexual, Hermaphrodite, All of these are equally common

35. What is the collective noun for a group of squid?


Answer: shoal or school

Interesting Information:
The traditional collective noun for a group of squid is a shoal or school, the same as for fish. Although there are many websites that state the collective noun for squid is a squad, the term squad is not officially recognised by marine science authorities.

Smack, fever and consortium are the collective nouns for jellyfish, stingrays, and octopi respectively. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Are You Squidding Me?
 
Some incorrect choices:
smack, fever, consortium

36. In which country is the giant African snail offered as a sacrifice to the deity Oxalá?


Answer: Brazil

Interesting Information:
Oxalá is the Candomblé Sky Father and the creator of human bodies. The snail represents the need to be patient and to have a hard shell. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: The Giant African Snail - Pet, Pest, or Snack?
 
Some incorrect choices:
China, Uruguay, El Salvador

37. Marbled cone snails produce the same type of venom as which other creature?


Answer: Blue-ringed octopus

Interesting Information:
Marbled cone snails produce the same neurotoxin as the blue-ringed octopus. Both animals carry enough venom to kill more than twenty people and there is no known antivenom. The symptoms can be treated until the toxin has worn off, saving the victim if medical attention is quickly sought. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Beautiful but Deadly
 
Some incorrect choices:
Box jellyfish, Sea snake, Stonefish

38. Like most sea creatures, the nautilus has a mechanism allowing it to swim. How does the nautilus push itself through water?


Answer: The nautilus draws water into its body with a siphon, and forces the water back out like a jet

Interesting Information:
The system of jet propulsion found in the nautilus is quite effective; it uses little energy, and can allow the nautilus to move at a speed of two knots, or about one meter per second. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: The Nimble Nautilus
 
Some incorrect choices:
The nautilus uses its tentacles to propel its body, The nautilus attaches itself to larger sea creatures in an example of symbiosis, The nautilus uses its tentacles to stabilize itself in water, and moves with water currents

39. Octopuses are often considered the smartest invertebrates. What have we seen octopuses in captivity do?


Answer: All of these!

Interesting Information:
Octopuses are never boring in captivity! An octopus in California was in the news in 2009 for pulling on a valve and flooding the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium.

A Giant Pacific Octopus at the Seattle Aquarium learned how to recognize and squirt the biologist who woke it up at night to check on it. The Seattle Aquarium also had an octopus who went roaming out of its own tank and into other tanks with tastier occupants!

They can also run mazes and open child-proof pill bottles. Impressive! Difficulty: Easy.

From Quiz: The Giant Pacific Octopus
 
Some incorrect choices:
Recognize human faces, Escape from their tanks, Cause expensive destruction of property

40. What do all bivalves lack that are found in snails?


Answer: Antennae

Interesting Information:
Snails have two pairs of antennae, with their eyes on the longer ones.
Bivalves have a wide variety of eye types, some with only light sensitive areas, whereas others such as Cardiidae and Pectinidae have complex eyes complete with a lens and retina. Scallops have a row of basic blue eyes around their mantle. But none have antennae of any type. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Bivalve Basics
 
Some incorrect choices:
Eyes, Hearts, Nervous systems
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