In zoology there are a number of "-ivorous" terms, designating what organisms eat (that is, what they primarily subsist on), including: carnivorous - subsisting on flesh or meat (animal prey) herbivorous or phytivorous - subsisting on vegetable or plant matter omnivorous - subsisting on a variety of foods (usually animal and vegetable) piscivorous - subsisting on fish molluscivorous - subsisting on mollusks vermivorous - subsisting on worms fucivorous - subsisting on seaweeds fungivorous - subsisting on fungi insectivorous - subsisting on insects baccivorous - subsisting on berries granivorous - subsisting on grain or seeds frugivorous - subsisting on fruit graminivorous - subsisting on grasses The last few terms have more application to ornithology than malacology, but the terms in the upper part of the list are used in reference to mollusks. Oh - and now that summer is here, lets not forget those hoards of pesky sanguinivorous mosquitos! I don't know if that term applies to mollusks - perhaps the larval stages of some fresh water bivalves would qualify?? Any opinion from you Uniologists out there? Vexillum sanguisugum however, is not sanguinivorous, in spite of its scientific name. What an awful name to stick on such a pretty shell - and totally undeserved! (sanguisugum = blood sucker) Paul M.