SeaShells * Conchas del Mar

Que es una concha del mar?
What is a Seashell?

Una concha es la parte universalmente reconocido identifiable de una creatura conocido como un mollusk,
A shell is the most universally identifiable part of a creature known as a mollusk.

Mollusks are invertebrate animals (think of a snail) with an unsegmented, basically symmetrical body, generally consisting of head, foot, visceral hump and mantle. Mollusks are descendants from primitive wormlike creatures inched around in the ooze of primeval seas millions of years ago. As dissolving land masses began to feed salts and chemicals into oceans, the first mollusks digested them and eventually used them to build durable shelters. See the rest of the article.

Classifications of Mollusks

All mollusks have soft bodies. In fact, Mollis is Latin and Malakos is Greek for soft. The study of mollusks is known as Malacology. Most mollusks develop hard shells to protect them from their hostile environment. Their fleshy mantle secretes a shell in generally a single or pair of valves. Based on their shell type, scientists and educators engaged in Malacology have classified mollusks into six classes. See the rest of the article

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How Shells are Named

Shells are named using Systema Natuae which was developed by Swedish naturalist Karl Linne. This system gives each species a two part Latinized name consisting of genus and species. A genus name is like a persons surname. It appears first and is always capitalized. The species name is like a persons first name and is never capitalized. Following the Latin binomial comes the name of the person who scientifically proposed the binomial. Latin is used because it is a "dead" and unchanging language.