“…Alongside the emerging patterns of molluscan phenotypic evolution based on morphogenetic and palaeontological data, significant insights have been gained concerning the molecular mechanisms that govern their development (Wanninger & Wollesen, ). Thereby, the release of the genomes of various gastropods including the Pacific abalone Haliotis discus hannai (Nam et al, ), the freshwater snail Biomphalaria glabrata (Adema et al, ), and the basally branching owl limpet Lottia gigantea (Simakov et al, ) together with several bivalves [e.g. Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg, 1793) (Zhang et al, ), Patinopecten yessoensis (Jay, 1857) (Wang et al, ), and other scallop, oyster, and mussel species (Takeuchi et al, ; Du et al, ; Li et al, , ; Sun et al, )] and the California two‐spot octopus Octopus bimaculoides Pickford & McConnaughey, 1949 (Albertin et al, ) provided an important framework for studies into key developmental regulators such as Hox and ParaHox genes as well as signalling molecules involved in dorso‐ventral axis patterning (bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)/decapentaplegic (Dpp) pathway) and left/right determination (Nodal pathway).…”