![]() ![]() Its genetic code could unravel the evolutionary processes that lead to snail-specific structures and their jump from oceans to terrestrial environments. In the shallow intertidal pools of the Atlantic Ocean it calls home, this tiny species is nearly impossible to detect.īut the captivating carnivore - it eats tiny bristly ringworms - has hidden talents: it glows green and red under UV light. "They are like small candies in a vast ocean filled with invertebrate predators," the nominating researchers told AFP. The only thing more psychedelic than its name is its electric rainbow edged-body, yellow shell and white spots. If this election turned on appearances, the Wavy Bubble Snail would be a frontrunner. Its larvae begin life as nomads before cementing themselves to protective surfaces that become hanging oyster reefs over time.ĭecoding its genes would produce insights into its extraordinary longevity. The Methuselah oyster can live up to 500 years © MAX WISSHAK / Senckenberg Research Institute/AFP The stunning sea slug is the length of a matchstick, gleams like frosted glass, and has a signature shock of neon orange and white striped "horns". Hailing from the rocky intertidals of the US Pacific coast, the thick-horned nudibranch is surely the most "punk" of the finalists. To help voters navigate the ballot, here's a rundown of the nominees: Punk slug The contestants may be boneless, but this year's competition is stiff. "Of all invertebrates, molluscs are most valued by man, but surprisingly are an often neglected phylum in genomic research," laboratory manager at the LOEWE Centre TBG Carola Greve told AFP. Molluscs have been around for more than 500 million years and are the second largest phylum of animals after insects.īut they are shrouded in mystery. The animal group is one of the most diverse in terms of shapes, sizes, habitats and behaviours, ranging from the deep sea colossal squid to garden slugs. ![]() Organisers have whittled down the field from 85,000 mollusc species, thanks to nominations by researchers from around the world.īy definition, pageant entrants have a head, an intestine sac and a muscular "foot" for motion. The International Mollusc of the Year competition, which kicked off this month, is run by the LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, based in Germany. The grand prize? The triumphant species will have its genome decoded to better understand its evolution and potential benefits to humanity. In a public vote ending Sunday, five species of soft-bodied invertebrates are vying to follow in the illustrious trail of previous winners, dubbed the "world's most beautiful snail" and "weirdest octopus". The list of finalists for Mollusc of the Year has something for everyone. Or will you be seduced by the leopard slug with its gymnastic mating ritual? ![]()
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