Which taxonomic class includes snails and slugs?

Which taxonomic class includes snails and slugs?

• A. Echinodermata
• B. Echinoidea
• C. Gill Membranes
• D. Gastropoda

Answer: (D)

Taxonomic classification is about placing organisms into hierarchical groups based on shared features. Snails and slugs are mollusks that belong to the class Gastropoda, a group whose members typically move with a broad, muscular foot and often have a single shell (snails) or no shell at all (slugs). The name Gastropoda reflects their “stomach-foot” form of locomotion, a hallmark of this class. Echinodermata is a different phylum that includes animals like starfish and sea urchins, with Echinoidea being one of its classes—so they don’t include snails or slugs. Gill membranes aren’t a taxonomic category at all, so they don’t apply here.

Taxonomic classification is about placing organisms into hierarchical groups based on shared features. Snails and slugs are mollusks that belong to the class Gastropoda, a group whose members typically move with a broad, muscular foot and often have a single shell (snails) or no shell at all (slugs). The name Gastropoda reflects their “stomach-foot” form of locomotion, a hallmark of this class. Echinodermata is a different phylum that includes animals like starfish and sea urchins, with Echinoidea being one of its classes—so they don’t include snails or slugs. Gill membranes aren’t a taxonomic category at all, so they don’t apply here.