Bivalves: Bivalvia - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Bivalves And People, Conservation Status, Black-lipped Pearl Oyster (pinctada Margaritifera): Species Accounts - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET
sea opercularis found habitats
Bivalves are found worldwide in freshwater and ocean habitats.
All bivalves need fresh or sea water to breathe, reproduce, and feed. Ocean-dwelling species are found from the seashore to deep-sea habitats. However, the Australian Enigmonia lives on mangrove leaves or seawalls beyond high tide and gets its moisture from sea spray. Most species live on the bottom or burrow into mud and sand. Others attach themselves to rocks, wood, and other solid objects. A few burrow into rock and wood or live on the bodies of other animals.
Most bivalves eat bits of plants and animals floating in the water. A few species collect food from the bottom. Others absorb nutrients directly into their bodies or capture small crustaceans and worms by grabbing them with a special intake siphon.
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Bivalves have bodies that are flattened from side to side and completely surrounded by two shells called valves. Each valve is made up of a hard mineral called calcium carbonate and is joined to the other by a hinge on the back. Interlocking teeth or sockets form the hinge on the valves, which are then held together by an elastic ligament or fiberlike tissue made up mostly of protein. Powerful mus…
Most bivalves stay in the same place for much of their lives, but others are able to move around. Burrowers move up and down through mud and sand by extending their foot. Then they expand the tip of their foot to anchor themselves and pull their shelled bodies up or down in the burrow. Others "swim" through the water by clapping their valves together. Bivalves usually require both ma…
Physical characteristics: Outside blackish valves with white to green spots are round and flat. The inner valve surfaces can be blue, gray, green, pink, and yellow. The valves measure 6 to 10 inches (150 to 250 millimeters) across. The mantle is orange, while the foot is gray or black. Geographic range: This species naturally occurs in the Indian Ocean and the western to central Pacific, including…
Physical characteristics: The valves are narrowly triangular in shape and pointed at the front end. At the rear, the valves are smooth and appear swollen. They are alternately banded with dark brown and cream, suggesting a "zebra" pattern. Mature adults have valves about 2 inches (50 millimeters) long. Geographic range: This species was first known from the Black and Caspian Seas. It…
Physical characteristics: The triangular valves are sculptured with ridges radiating out from center and come in white, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and blue. The inside surface of the valves is not pearly and is usually purple. The margins of the valves are finely toothed. Mature individuals grow up to 1 inch (25 millimeters) long. Geographic range: They are found along the Eastern coast of Nort…
Physical characteristics: The valves are flat and round and have about 20 ribs extending out from the umbo. On either side of the umbo is a pair of small, winglike extensions that are slightly unequal in size. The colors of the outer surface are variable, spotted or solid, and can be white, red, or orange. The right valve is lighter in color than the left. The inside of each valve is white. The ma…
Physical characteristics: This largest of all living bivalves measures up to 53.9 inches (1,369 millimeters) long and weighs up to 579.5 pounds (262.8 kilograms). The whitish valves are thick, heavy, and have four to six distinct folds. The inside surfaces of the valves are white and smooth. The mantle is brightly colored, ranging from yellowish brown to olive green with shiny blue green spots. Th…
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