Gasteropoda

9.2

A group of animals like snails and slugs that usually move on a foot and often have a coiled shell

noun
/ˌɡæstəˈroʊpədə/

Specialized

: gasterópodo

The class Gasteropoda contains many interesting species, such as garden snails and sea slugs.

Examples

The Gasteropoda class includes various species of snails.
Many Gasteropoda have beautiful, coiled shells.
Many museum exhibits feature shells from different members of the Gasteropoda.
Scientists study the evolution of Gasteropoda to understand adaptation in mollusks.
The class Gasteropoda includes a diverse range of marine and terrestrial species.
Researchers are discovering new details about Gasteropoda, a class that showcases remarkable diversity.
Some members of Gasteropoda can be found in freshwater habitats, adding to their ecological importance.

Synonyms

Gastropoda

vsGasteropoda

Specialized

1 8.7

A large group of animals like snails and slugs that usually have a single shell and a muscular foot

stresses often having a coiled shell rather than a single shell

Surface Forms

Gasteropoda singular

Gasteropodas plural

Morphology

Gasteropoda = gaster + poda

A technical New Latin/Greek compound whose parts are combining forms not familiar standalone English words, so learners cannot reliably infer the meaning from its components.

Etymology

The word Gasteropoda comes from old Greek parts gaster meaning 'stomach' and poda meaning 'foot'. So these animals are 'stomach-foot' creatures that move on a large foot under their body, which helps you remember why snails and slugs are in this group.