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A molluscivore is a carnivorous animal that specialises in feeding on molluscs such as snails, bivalves, brachiopods and cephalopods. Known molluscivores include numerous predatory (and often cannibalistic) molluscs, (e.g.Octopuses, murexes, decollate snails and oyster drills), arthropods such as crabs and firefly larvae, and, vertebrates such as fish, birds and mammals. Molluscivory is performed in a variety ways with some animals highly adapted to this method of feeding behaviour. A similar behaviour, durophagy, describes the feeding of animals that consume hard-shelled or exoskeleton bearing organisms, such as corals, shelled molluscs, or crabs.〔Huber, D.R., Dean, M.N. and Summers, A.P., (2008), Hard prey, soft jaws and the ontogeny of feeding mechanics in the spotted ratfish ''Hydrolagus colliei''. Journal of the Royal Society Interface( online publishing) ()〕 ==Description== Molluscivory is performed in several ways. In some cases, the mollusc prey are simply swallowed entire, including the shell. Only cannibalistic sea slugs, snail-eating cone shells (Coninae) and some sea anemones use this method. One method, used especially by vertebrate molluscivores, is to break the shell, either by exterting force on the shell until it breaks (often by biting), hammering at the shell, e.g. oystercatchers and crabs, or by simply dashing the mollusc on a rock (e.g. song thrushes and gulls). Another method is to remove the shell from the prey. Molluscs are attached to their shell by strong muscular ligaments, making the shell's removal difficult. Molluscivorous birds, such as oystercatchers and the Everglades snail kite, insert their elongate beak into the shell to sever these attachment ligaments, facilitating removal of the prey. The carnivorous terrestrial pulmonate snail known as the "decollate snail" ("decollate" being a synonym for "decapitate") uses a similar method: it reaches into the opening of the prey's shell and bites through the muscles in the prey's neck, whereupon it immediately begins devouring the fleshy parts of its victim. The walrus sucks meat out of bivalve molluscs by sealing its powerful lips to the organism and withdrawing its piston-like tongue rapidly into its mouth, creating a vacuum. Another method is used by molluscs themselves. Octopi, nautilii, and most molluscivoruous snails use their radula to drill a hole through the shell, then inject venom and digestive enzymes through the hole, whereupon the digested prey is then sucked out through the hole. The larvae of glowworms and fireflies are simply small enough to enter the shells of their prey and begin eating immediately. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Molluscivore」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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