Drawing inspiration from a mollusk’s mouth

When one conjures an image of a mollusk, such as a squid, snail, or a slug, it is easy to forget that these remarkable animals have teeth. That’s probably because these teeth — known as radula — aren’t very well understood.

Krings et al. brings the study of radular teeth into the limelight with a review about the classification and mechanics of this anatomical structure.

“Despite being one of the most iconic features of mollusks … radular teeth are remarkably understudied — mainly because they’re so tiny and challenging to work with,” said author Wencke Krings.

The review focuses on echomechanics, which is the study of how ecological properties affect and shape mechanical traits — a combination of evolutionary adaptation and mechanics. For mollusks, a phylum of marine organisms comprising over 20% of named ocean animals, their diets directly influence the morphology and composition of the radula.

“Without detailed knowledge about species’ food preferences and how their feeding systems are mechanically tuned to specific resources, we can’t anticipate how they will respond to environmental change,” Krings said.

The review also provides a new categorization for radular teeth, grouping them into types of human “tools” like scrapers, cutters, and pierces.

“This approach makes it easier to communicate with engineers, designers, and interdisciplinary researchers,” Krings said.

Comparing the radula this way can also illuminate diverse sources of biomimetic inspiration. The piercing teeth of predatory mollusks can offer inspiration for precise penetration tools like surgical drills, while the softer, non-mineralized teeth of rock-scraping snails can withstand large abrasive forces and can inspire soft robotics.

“So, whether it’s sharp piercing teeth or flexible, abrasion-tolerant scrapers, different radular types offer unique blueprints for solving engineering challenges — from cutting and gripping, to wear management and adaptability,” Krings said.

Source: “Ecomechanics of mollusks’ radula,” by Wencke Krings, Bernhard Hausdorf, and Stanislav N. Gorb, Biointerphases (2026). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1116/6.0005034 .

This paper is part of the Biomimetics of Biointerfaces Collection, learn more here .