What does malacology study?

Malacology is the branch of invertebrate zoology that deals with the study of the Mollusca (molluscs), the second-largest phylum of animals in terms of described species after the arthropods. Mollusks include snails and slugs, clams, octopus and squid, and numerous other kinds, many of which have shells. One division of malacology, conchology, is devoted to the study of mollusc shells.

Fields within malacological research include taxonomy, ecology and evolution. Applied malacology studies medical, veterinary, and agricultural applications, for example, molluscs as vectors of disease, as in schistosomiasis.