Pelecypods
Morphological Features
Shell Morphology
Mantle - a thin membrane surrounding the body, secretes the
shell valves, ligament, and hinge teeth.
Shell consists of three distinct layers:
Nacre- inner most layer, thin sheets of CaCO 3 laid down horizontally
(parallel to plane of shell) gives iridescent appearance; how it is laid
down determines color; ranges from white to peach to pink to deep
purple; Sphaeriids usually lack this layer and in corbiculids it is very
thin
Prismatic- 90% of shell; also CaCO3 laid down in vertical layers (90o
to the horizontal plane)
Periostracum- outer proteinaceous, horny layer; thickness varies
with species; in unionids it is usually comprised of three layers
Structures on the Shell
Umbone (=beak)- area where first shell was laid down in
development
Umbonal cavity (beak cavity)- inside, area under umbone
Interdentum- space between teeth types (ie. between lateral
and pseudocardinal teeth)
Pallial line - muscle scars
Lateral teeth - used as a locking mechanism to keep valves
from sliding
Orientation: Right, Left valves; Dorsal and Ventral
Annual growth rings- much like tree rings; laid down as
individual grows; have been used to age species
Alae- wing; condition is said to be "alate"
Flutings- broad grooves and channels in side of shells
Pustules- warts or knobs or tubercles; any bumps on the
surface of the shell
Rays- green colored bands on side of shell; sometimes
narrow sometimes broad or may be restricted to certain
parts of the shell
Internal Morphology
Mantle
covers the body and lines the internal layer of the shell;
responsible for secreting the shell;
folds in the mantle produce siphons: inhalant (located vantrally) and exhalant (dorsal);
located on posterior end of body
Gills
are very large and paired on both sides of body formed into large lamellae or leaf like
structures that almost completely surround body
are highly vascularized
associated with dorsal heart that sends blood from the gills to the visceral mass, mantle,
foot and back
have multiple functions
Respiration- take up oxygen and give off carbon dioxide
Feeding- aid in filter feeding; water brought across the gills which contains food; food is trapped by
mucous on gills and is then moved by ciliary system to mouth; this process may produce pseudofeces
Reproduction- the gills act as a marsupium chamber for developing larvae or young
Visceral Mass
contains most of the vital organs
stomach and intestines
digestive gland (i.e., liver)
gonads
Heart
dorsal three chambered; covered by a pericardium; pumps blood (hemolymph) around body
Kidney
Foot
largest muscle of body used for locomotion and digging
Muscles
Anterior and Posterior Adductor Muscles- close shell; no mechanism except
relaxation of these muscles and flexibility of hinge ligament to open shell
Anterior and Posterior Retractor muscles- used to retract foot into shell;
and in doing so pull the shell forward during locomotion
Protractor muscle- opposes action of retractor muscles
Other structures
Morphology of a bivalve differ from one specie to
another and this is reflected in their differing: tooth
patterns and gill structure
TOOTH TYPE
DESMODONT
DYSODONT
DESCRIPTION
Teeth are reduced or absent all together
Small simple teeth located near the edge of the valve
TAXODONT
Numerous teeth arranged in a radial pattern fanning out upwards
ACTINODONT
Numerous teeth arranged in a radial pattern fanning out downwards
ISODONT
SCHIZODONT
PACHYODONT
HETERODONT
Large teeth found either side of the internal ligament pit
Large teeth, sometimes grooved
Very large blunt teeth
Cardinal and lateral teeth
GILL TYPE
DESCRIPTION
PROTOBRANCH
This gill structure tends to occur in primitive groups, and appears as a
small leaf-like structure
FILIBRANCH
This gill structure consists of individual filaments forming 'W'-shaped
structures that come together to form lamellar sheets.
EULAMELLIBRANCH
These form 'W'-shaped gills with cross-partitions joining the filaments to
create water-filled cavities in between them.
SEPTIBRANCH
These gills are only found in Poromyacea a super-family of the rock borers.
They run transversely across the mantle cavity, enclosing the inner
chamber, with only a small connection to the outer cavity
Pelecypods
Taxonomic Classification
Taxonomy
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Bivalvia
Subclass: Protobranchia
Order: Nuculoida
Order: Solemyoida
Subclass: Pteromorphia
Order: Mytiloida
Order: Pterioida
Subclass: Palaeoheterodonta
Order: Trigonioida
Order: Unionoida
Subclass: Heterodonta
Order Veneroida
Order Myoida
Subclass Anomalodesmata
Order Pholadomyoida
Subclass: Protobranchia
Early Cambrian to Recent
the simplest and most primitive of the bivalves
They have a protobranch gill structure, an equivalved aragonite
shell and taxodont dentition.
Order Nuculoida
shell is aragonic with an interior that is nacreous or porcelaneous
periostracum is smooth.
valves are equal and have a row of sharp teeth along its hinge or border.
Large palps used for food collection.
Gills are small and used only for gas exchange.
Foot is longitudinally grooved and has a plantar sole.
Common Name: Nut Clams
Nuculanoidea
Neilonellidae
Nuculoidea
Malletiidae
Subclass: Protobranchia
Order Solemyoida (Devonian to Recent)
Shell valves are thin, equal in size, elongate and lacking hinge teeth (dysodont).
have a large gills used for both feeding and gas exchange.
Their palps are small.
Common Name: awning clams
Solemyidae
Nucinellidae
Subclass Pteromorphia
A very diverse group of normally byssate forms with variable
musculature and dentition.
Shells may be calcite, aragonite or both.
Many inequivalved, some equivalved.
Variable dentition.
Foot commonly reduced, absent in some.
Mantle mostly unfused and lacking siphons.
Gills fillibranch or eulamellibranch
Order Mytiloida
Shell valves are quite thin, elongated and equal in size.
The valves are uncalcified along the outer edges and hinge teeth
are absent.
They have one large ctenidia which is used both for feeding and
gas exchange.
Their palps are small.
Mytilidae: these are the sea
mussels
Order Pterioida
Ordovician to Recent
Include pectinaceans (scallops and their kin), ostreaceans, and
the fossil inoceramids
Inoceramid
Pteriidae
Isognomonidae
Pinnidae
Subclass Palaeoheterodonta
They are distinguished by having the two halves of the shell be of
equal size and shape, but by having the hinge teeth be in a
single row, rather than separated into two groups
Order Trigonioida
Bivalves with large trigonal and well developed schizodont teeth
Devonian to Recent
Yaadia valentina
Trigonioidea
Order Unioinoida
freshwater clams
the only non-marine bivalves
Devonian to Recent
Unionidae
Muteloidae
Hyriidae
Subclass Heterodonta
(Triassic to Recent)
Heterodont hinge structure
eulamellibranch gill structure
almost always aragonitic shells
Adapted to varied modes of life, especially infaunal
siphon feeding
The hinge structure may degenerate into a desmodont
condition.
Order Veneroida
mostly active equivalve heterodonts with true heterodont teeth
Usually thick-valved, and isomyarian.
Veneroida Cardiidae
Veneroida Glossoidea
Veneroida Tellinoidea
Order Myoida
Thin-shelled burrowers and borers
very inequivalve
hinges are degenerate, with one cardinal tooth on each valve;
siphons well developed
Carboniferous to Recent
Gastrochaenidae
Hiatellidae
Pholadidae
Subclass Anomalodesmata
Middle Ordovician to Recent
Burrowing or boring forms
very modified, with aragonitic shells and desmodont dentition.
A small, specialized group, in whichgills are not present.
Cuspidariidae
The inhalent and suprabranchial (exhalent) cavity are separated by a
pumpingseptum
Order Pholadomyoida
The shells of species in this order are of equal size, as are the muscles that
hold them closed
the margins at the hinges are thickened.
The margins of the mantle are also fused, and there is only a single hinge
tooth, if any
Pholadomyidae
