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The mantle cavity is a central feature of molluscan biology. This cavity is formed by the mantle skirt, a double fold of mantle which encloses a water space. This space contains the mollusk's gills, anus, osphradium, nephridiopores, and gonopores. The mantle cavity functions as a respiratory chamber in most mollusks. In bivalves it is usually ...
The siphon is part of the mantle of the mollusc, and the water flow is directed to (or from) the mantle cavity. A single siphon occurs in some gastropods. In those bivalves which have siphons, the siphons are paired. In cephalopods, there is a single siphon or funnel which is known as a hyponome.
Mollusca is a phylum of protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks [a] (/ ˈ m ɒ l ə s k s /). Around 76,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum after Arthropoda . [ 5 ]
Snails and most other Mollusca share three anatomical features; the foot, the mantle, and the radula. Foot: The foot is a muscular organ used by Gastropods for locomotion. Gastropods' stomachs are located within their foot. Both land and sea snails travel by contracting foot muscles to deform the mucus layer beneath it into different wave-like ...
The mantle is a multifunctional, generally thin and fragile structure that line bivalve interiors and encloses their bodies. This structure secretes the shell, contains respiratory organs and facilitates feeding. The cavity that exists between the mantle and other soft tissues is aptly named the mantle cavity. [4]
Some species brood the eggs within the mantle cavity, and the species Callistochiton viviparus even retains them within the ovary and gives birth to live young, an example of ovoviviparity. The egg has a tough spiny coat, and usually hatches to release a free-swimming trochophore larva, typical of many other mollusc groups.
When the mantle contracts, water is forced through the gills, which lie between the mantle cavity and the funnel. The water's expulsion through the funnel can be used to power jet propulsion. If respiration is used concurrently with jet propulsion, large losses in speed or oxygen generation can be expected.
Byssus filaments are created by certain kinds of marine and freshwater bivalve mollusks, which use the byssus to attach themselves to rocks, substrates, or seabeds.In edible mussels, the inedible byssus is commonly known as the "beard", and is removed before cooking.