Aplacophora

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Aplacophora
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Subkingdom: Metazoa
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Aplacophora
Subclasses and families
  • Subclass Chaetodermomorpha (Caudofoveata)
    • Chaetodermidae
    • Falcidentidae
    • Limifossoridae
    • Metachaetodermatidae
    • Prochaetodermatidae
    • Scutopidae
  • Subclass Neomeniomorpha (Solenogastres)
    • Acanthomeniidae
    • Amphimeniidae
    • Dondersiidae
    • Drepanomeniidae
    • Epimeniidae
    • Gymnomeniidae
    • Hemimeniidae
    • Heteroherpiidae
    • Imeroherpiidae
    • Lepidomeniidae
    • Macellomeniidae
    • Meiomeniidae
    • Neomeniidae
    • Perimeniidae
    • Phyllomeniidae
    • Proneomeniidae
    • Rhipidoherpiidae
    • Rhopalomeniidae
    • Sandalomeniidae
    • Simrothiellidae
    • Strophomeniidae
    • Syngenoherpiidae

Aplacophora is a class of exclusively benthic marine mollusks found in all oceans of the world. The class comprises 28 families and about 320 species. They are small (no longer than 5 cm), cylindrical and worm-like. They can however reach a length of 30 cm.

[edit] Habitat

Aplacophorans mainly burrow into the substrate in water regions deeper than 20 m. These species may reach densities up to 4 or 5 specimens per m².

[edit] Taxonomy

This class was once classified as sea cucumbers in the echinoderms. In 1987, they were officially recognized as mollusks and given their own class.

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