What is Invertebrate Zoology?
Invertebrate zoology is the study of the vast majority of diversity contained within the 34 extant phyla (major categories) of animal life– the Metazoa. Within the broad category of invertebrate zoology, malacology is devoted to the study of mollusks, the second largest phylum of animals in terms of described species. It has historically been the main focus of invertebrate studies at FLMNH. About 100,000 species of mollusks are known, and FLMNH holds over 30,000 species among over 400,000 lots of specimens. Over 370,000 lots are now databased and accessible online. The collection is among the five largest in the US, and one of the most rapidly growing. It is the second largest mollusk collection in the world in online accessibility.
