As a group, bivalves have no head and lack some typical molluscan organs such as the radula and the odontophore. Their gills have evolved into ctenidia, specialised organs for feeding and breathing.

Dec 5, 2025 · 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 …

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 …

Jun 16, 2024 · Many bivalve species play important roles in aquatic and marine ecosystems by filtering the water and serving as habitat and prey for a variety of sea life.

Nov 24, 2025 · The class Bivalvia represents a diverse group of aquatic mollusks characterized by two hinged, usually symmetrical shells, or valves, that completely enclose the organism’s soft body.

Jan 26, 2001 · Also known as pelecypods, the approximately 15,000 species of this taxon are found in marine and freshwater habitats throughout the world. A bivalve is characterized by possessing two …

The second most diverse group of molluscs behind gastropods, bivalves are one of the most important members of most marine and freshwater ecosystems. In fact, there are well over 10,000 described …

Jul 31, 2025 · Bivalved animals represent a widespread and diverse group of aquatic invertebrates, belonging to the phylum Mollusca. They inhabit both marine and freshwater environments across the …

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.

The Bivalvia (also referred to by some authors as the Lamellibranchia or Pelecypoda) is the second largest class of the molluscs and fossils are known from the Cambrian. They show much variation in …