- Clams live in both freshwater and marine environments.
- They eat plankton.
- They take in oxygen through the surrounding water to breathe.
- “Clams do not have any sense. They cannot smell, hear or even see because they have no noses, ears and eyes.”
External Anatomy:
- umbo: highest, most prominent part of the shell
- growth rings: age markers
- hinge ligament: located near umbo, hinges valves together
Internal Anatomy:
- gonad: reproductive organ, produces egg or sperm
- gills:respiratory structures responsible for obtaining water and food
- digestive gland: used for digestion after passing mouth
- foot: used to burrow into mud and sand
- mantle: tissue that lines valve and covers soft body of clam
- posterior/anterior adductors:on the sides of the clams, used to close shell.
- exhalant siphon:expels water and waste out of the clam
- inhalant siphon:brings in oxygen, food, and water into the clam
- teeth: ridges near anterior end of hinge that interlock when shell is closed
Incision Guide:
- cut along ventral side
Dissection video:
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