Question

Soft-bodied, shelled animals belong to:

• A. Annelida
• B. Arthropoda
• C. Platyhelminthes
• D. Mollusca

Answer 1

The correct option is D

Mollusca

The correct answer is D:

Explanation of correct option:

Mollusca

1. The second-largest group of animals.
2. Molluscs may be terrestrial or aquatic animals.
3. They have a soft body that is protected by a hard shell.
4. The body is divided into three parts: heads, a visceral mass, and a muscular foot.
5. The muscular foot helps in locomotion.
6. Snail, oyster, octopus, cuttlefish, and squid belong to this group.

Explanation of incorrect options:

Option A:

1. They are mostly free-living worms that live in the soil or water.
2. Have a soft and segmented body.
3. They contain numerous ring-like segments.

Option B:

1. The largest group of animals.
2. Multiple pairs of jointed legs are present which may be variously modified for walking, swimming, and capturing food.
3. The body is protected by a hardcover called exoskeleton which is made of chitin.
4. Ant, mosquito, cockroach, butterfly, spider, prawn, crab, millipede, and scorpion belong to this group.

Option C:

1. These are worm-like animals with flat leaf-like bodies.
2. The body is soft and unsegmented.
3. They have hooks and suckers on their head around the mouth which help them to grip the body of the host.
4. Flatworms mostly live as parasites inside human or animal bodies.
5. Tapeworm, planaria, and liver fluke are members of the Platyhelminthes group.

Final answer: Soft-bodied, shelled animals belong to Mollusca.