Chrysomallon squamiferum is a gastropod (snail) recently described from deep-sea hydrothermal vents in the Indian Ocean. The characteristic plates on the soft body have earned it the name ‘scaly-foot’, but the most unusual thing about this creature is that the scales are coated in iron sulphide. This is likely produced by endosymbiotic bacteria living in the gut which…
Tag: exoskeleton
No bones about it! What are skeletons?
Skeletons aren’t just bony figures with a skull, ribs and bandy legs that jump out of closets and ask for sweets at Hallowe’en. In fact, many skeletons have no bones at all! Let’s take a far and wide look at skeletons… Skeletons fulfil at least four basic functions – they support the body’s structure against gravity or other…
Anatomy To You 