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Bivalvia (/ b aɪ ˈ v æ l v i ə /) or bivalves, in previous centuries referred to as the Lamellibranchiata and Pelecypoda, is a class of aquatic molluscs (marine and freshwater) that have laterally compressed soft bodies enclosed by a calcified exoskeleton consisting of a hinged pair of half-shells known as valves.
A marine coastal ecosystem is a marine ecosystem which occurs where the land meets the ocean. Worldwide there is about 620,000 kilometres (390,000 mi) of coastline. Coastal habitats extend to the margins of the continental shelves, occupying about 7 percent of the ocean surface area.
Freshwater bivalves are molluscs of the order Bivalvia that inhabit freshwater ecosystems. They are one of the two main groups of freshwater molluscs , along with freshwater snails . The majority of bivalve molluscs are saltwater species that live in the marine habitats , but a number of families have evolved to live in fresh water (and in some ...
Unionidae burrow into the substrate, with their posterior margins exposed. They pump water through the incurrent aperture, obtaining oxygen and food. They remove phytoplankton and zooplankton, as well as suspended bacteria, fungal spores, and dissolved organic matter.
Traditionally, jellyfish have been viewed as trophic dead ends. With body plans largely based on water, they were typically considered to have a limited impact on marine ecosystems, attracting the attention of specialized predators such as the ocean sunfish and the leatherback sea turtle. [26] [25] That view has recently been challenged.
Scallop (/ ˈ s k ɒ l ə p, ˈ s k æ l ə p /) [a] is a common name that encompasses various species of marine bivalve mollusks in the taxonomic family Pectinidae, the scallops.However, the common name "scallop" is also sometimes applied to species in other closely related families within the superfamily Pectinoidea, which also includes the thorny oysters.
The blue mussel (Mytilus edulis), also known as the common mussel, [1] is a medium-sized edible marine bivalve mollusc in the family Mytilidae, the only extant family in the order Mytilida, known as "true mussels". Blue mussels are subject to commercial use and intensive aquaculture. A species with a large range, empty shells are commonly found ...
Rudist bivalve, Maurens Formation, Upper Cretaceous, southwestern France. Rudists are a group of extinct box-, tube- or ring-shaped marine heterodont bivalves belonging to the order Hippuritida that arose during the Late Jurassic and became so diverse during the Cretaceous that they were major reef-building organisms in the Tethys Ocean, until their complete extinction at the close of the ...