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Gastropod Main 
Glossary
References
Links
Hooper Main |
Ecology 3
Many gastropods are highly specialized to a specific niche. Janthina , a marine pulmonate, builds a raft of bubbles out of mucus and floats on currents for it's food. The limpet Patella scrapes algea off intertidal rocks as it's only food. It is this kind of specialization that has helped make the gastropods one of the most successful animal groups of all time, second only to the insects in diversity.
Fig 22. Members of the Janthina prolongata species build a raft out of mucous air bubbles to float on. A clutch of eggs is visible just below the raft.
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