Among the millions of bivalve molluscs in the Museum's collections, one specimen stands out: a large oyster shell, donated to the Museum in 1886 and containing a peculiar pearl. Rather than a ...

The oyster or mussel slowly secretes layers of aragonite and conchiolin, materials that also make up its shell. This creates a material called nacre, also known as mother-of-pearl, which encases the ...

which includes chitons and shell-less worm-like animals. These worm-like animals, approximately two centimeters in length with long spines, stand out among early molluscs for their distinctive ...