What is Siphon (mollusc)?
[[File:Cymbiola magnifica.jpg|thumb|The siphon of a large carnivorous marine [[volute]], ''[[Cymbiola magnifica]]'']] [[File:Nassarius tiarula.jpg|thumb|The sea snail ''[[Nassarius tiarula]]'' is a scavenger. Siphon on the left]] A '''siphon''' is a long [[tube]]-like structure that is present in certain [[aquatic]] [[mollusc]]s: [[Gastropod]]s, [[bivalve]]s, and [[cephalopod]]s. The tube is used for the exchange of [[liquid]]s, or [[air]]. This flow can have different purposes, the most common are [[breathing]], [[animal locomotion|locomotion]], [[feeding]] and [[reproduction]]. The siphon is part of the [[mantle (mollusc)|mantle]] of the mollusc, and the water flow is directed to (or from) the [[mantle cavity]]. A single siphon occurs in some gastropods. In those bivalves which have siphons, they are paired. In cephalopods, there is a single siphon or funnel which is known as a '''[[hyponome]]'''. [[Category:Molluscs]] [[Category:Animal anatomy]] {{biology-stub}}