mollusk

The sea creature, which they nicknamed the “mystery mollusk” because of its snail-like features, captivated them.

The mollusks are efficient filter feeders and can increase the clarity of water by consuming large quantities of plankton, which native fish and other creatures depend on.

These tiny dark-yellowish mollusks, native to rivers in China and Southeast Asia, have already wreaked havoc in South America, and for years have kept officials and ecologists across the United States on high alert.

The so-called “hot girl food” is exactly what its name suggests: processed seafood — namely sardines, anchovies, salmon, mollusks and shellfish — that’s neatly packaged and presented in a peel-back, often decorative tin.

It turns out that shipworms have a curious sub-organ, called a typhlosole -- "it looks like Salvador Dali's mustache upside down," says Shipway -- that is embedded in the mollusk's digestive tract.