Bivalvia (/ baɪˈvælviə /) 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- …

bivalve, (class Bivalvia), any of more than 15,000 species of clams, oysters, mussels, scallops, and other members of the phylum Mollusca characterized by a shell that is divided from front to back into left and right valves. The valves are connected to one another at a hinge.

May 31, 2024 · Bivalves are a group of freshwater and marine mollusks with bilaterally symmetric and laterally compressed bodies encased in a characteristic two-part shell. They belong to the class Bivalvia, a term coined by Linnaeus (1758) from two Latin words, bis (two) and valvae (leaves of a door).

Nov 10, 2023 · Bivalves are a type of mollusk. They are part of the class Bivalvia inside the phylum Mollusca. These animals are classified by a two-part hinged shell that is hard. This shell covers an invertebrate, usually one that has a very soft body. The shells are often round or oval.

Aug 26, 2020 · Bivalves can be extremely numerous where they occur, and they are widely spread throughout the marine ecosystem, especially the intertidal and sublittoral zones. Because they are diverse and common, bivalves are an extremely important part of the balance of many marine ecosystems.

Aug 20, 2024 · Bivalves, also known as lamellibranchs or pelecypods, are a class of mollusks distinguished by their two-part shell, which joins dorsally and encloses and protects their body. They are often found in marine environments but can also live in freshwater. Bivalves are filter feeders, meaning they strain tiny food particles from the water.

Jun 16, 2024 · Bivalve mollusks (e.g., clams, oysters, mussels, scallops) have an external covering that is a two-part hinged shell that contains a soft-bodied invertebrate. A roughfile clam from the Flower Garden Bank National Marine Sanctuary—just one of many different bivalve mollusk species. Like fish, bivalve mollusks breathe through their gills.

Bivalves (also known as “pelecypods” or, in older literature, “lamellibranchs”) are a very diverse and abundant group of mollusks. They live today throughout the world’s oceans and fresh waters, where they are of major ecological importance as a food source for other organisms and for their water-filtering capabilities.

Bivalves are aquatic mollusks belonging to the class Bivalvia (or Pelecypoda), a group that includes the familiar and economically important clams, oysters, scallops, and mussels. Bivalvia ("two valves") refers to the fact that most members of this group have two-part calcareous shells, or valves, that are hinged and more or less symmetrical.

Bivalves, by virtue of their filter-feeding apparatus, concentrate the toxin and, if eaten by humans, can cause paralysis or death. Bivalves of the genera Pinctada and Pteria have been collected in many tropical seas for the natural pearls they may contain, although in many countries, most notably Japan, pearl oyster fisheries have been developed.