Glochidium
The glochidium (plural glochidia) is a microscopic larval stage of some freshwater mussels, aquatic bivalve mollusks in the families Unionidae and Margaritiferidae, the river mussels and European freshwater pearl mussels. These larvae are tiny and are typically between 100 and 200 micrometers, or approximately a third of the size of a grain of salt. They can be round or have hooks, attaching to the gills, fins and scales of fish (for example to the gills of a fish host species) for a period before they detach, fall to the substrate and take on the typical form of a juvenile mussel. Since a fish is active and free-swimming, this process helps distribute the mussel species to potential areas of habitat that it could not reach any other way. Before the origin of this larval form was understood, they were described as "parasitic worms" on the fish host, although under normal circumstances, glochidia do not harm fish. Overexposure or heavy infections of glochidia may however gre ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Bivalve
Bivalvia () or bivalves, in previous centuries referred to as the Lamellibranchiata and Pelecypoda, is a class (biology), class of aquatic animal, aquatic molluscs (marine and freshwater) that have laterally compressed soft bodies enclosed by a calcified exoskeleton consisting of a hinged pair of half-bivalve shell, shells known as valve (mollusc), valves. 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 ctenidium (mollusc), ctenidia, specialised organs for feeding and breathing. Common bivalves include clams, oysters, Cockle (bivalve), cockles, mussels, scallops, and numerous other family (biology), families that live in saltwater, as well as a number of families that live in freshwater. Majority of the class are benthic filter feeders that bury themselves in sediment, where they are relatively safe from predation. Others lie on the sea floor or attach themselves to rocks or other h ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ptychobranchus Greenii
''Ptychobranchus'' is a genus of freshwater mussels in the family Unionidae. They are endemic to North America, and are mainly found in the Midwest and southeastern United States as well as Ontario, Canada. Several members of the genus are considered endangered species. The genus is characterized by folded gills of the female that accommodate larvae packages, thus the meaning of the genus name, "folded gills". She produces one conglutinate in each demibranch of the gills. Members of this genus are long-term brooders and hold their eggs over winter. Species of this genus package their larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...e, known as glochidia, in conglutinates that resemble prey items such as aquatic insects, fish fry, or fish eggs. The lures are intended to at ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Anodonta Cygnea Glochidium
''Anodonta'' is a genus of freshwater mussels in the family Unionidae, the river mussels. Species (and previous species) Species in this genus include: * '' Anodonta anatina'' Linné, 1758 – duck mussel * '' Anodonta beringiana'' Middendorff, 1851 – Yukon floater; now '' Beringiana beringiana'' * '' Anodonta californiensis'' I. Lea, 1852 – California floater * '' Anodonta cataracta'' Say, 1817 – eastern floater; now '' Pyganodon cataracta'' * '' Anodonta cowperiana'' I. Lea, 1840 – barrel floater * ''Anodonta cygnea'' Linné, 1758 – swan mussel * '' Anodonta dejecta'' Lewis, 1875 – woebegone floater; synonym for '' A. californiensis'' * '' Anodonta gibbosa'' Say, 1824 – inflated floater; now '' Pyganodon gibbosa'' * '' Anodonta hartfieldorum'' J. D. Williams, Bogan & Garner, 2009 - Cypress Floater * '' Anodonta heardi'' M. E. Gordon and Hoeh, 1995 – Apalachicola floater; now '' Utterbackia heardi'' * '' Anodonta imbec ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Lampsilis Higginsii Glochidia 620
''Lampsilis'' is a genus of freshwater mussels, aquatic bivalve mollusks in the family Unionidae, the river mussels. There are over 100 species in the genus. Aggressive mimicry Some species, notably '' Lampsilis ovata'' (pocketbook mussel) use aggressive mimicry to lure large predatory fish by using their mantleas a lure, ejecting larvae into the mouth of the fish when they strike. The larvae attach to the gills, using the fish's blood as food for several weeks. Species * '' Lampsilis abrupta'' (pink mucket) * †'' Lampsilis binominata'' (lined pocketbook) * '' Lampsilis bracteata'' * '' Lampsilis cardium'' * '' Lampsilis cariosa'' (yellow lampmussel) * '' Lampsilis dolabraeformis'' * '' Lampsilis fasciola'' (wavy-rayed lampmussel) * '' Lampsilis floridensis'' (Florida sandshell) * '' Lampsilis fullerkati'' (Waccamaw fatmucket, now considered synonymous with '' L. radiata'') * '' Lampsilis higginsii'' (Higgins' eye pearly mussel) * '' Lampsilis ornata'' * '' Lampsilis ov ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Larva
A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. A larva's appearance is generally very different from the adult form (''e.g.'' caterpillars and butterflies) including different unique structures and organs that do not occur in the adult form. Their diet may also be considerably different. In the case of smaller primitive arachnids, the larval stage differs by having three instead of four pairs of legs. Larvae are frequently adapted to different environments than adults. For example, some larvae such as tadpoles live almost exclusively in aquatic environments but can live outside water as adult frogs. By living in a distinct environment, larvae may be given shelter from predators and reduce competition for resources with the adult population. Animals in the lar ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Freshwater Mussel
Freshwater bivalves are molluscs of the order Bivalvia that inhabit freshwater ecosystems. They are one of the two main groups of freshwater molluscs, along with freshwater snails. The majority of bivalve molluscs are saltwater species that live in the marine habitats, but a number of families have evolved to live in fresh water (and in some cases, also in brackish water). These belong to two different evolutionary lineages, i.e. freshwater mussels and freshwater clams, and the two groups are not closely related. Freshwater bivalves have a simple morphology that varies among taxa, and are distributed around most regions of the world. Freshwater bivalve species vary greatly in size. Some pea clams (genus '' Pisidium'') have an adult size of only . In contrast, one of the largest species of freshwater bivalves is the swan mussel from the family Unionidae; it can grow to a length of , and usually lives in lakes or slow-flowing rivers. Freshwater pearl mussels are economical ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Aquatic Animal
An aquatic animal is any animal, whether vertebrate or invertebrate, that lives in a body of water for all or most of its lifetime. Aquatic animals generally conduct gas exchange in water by extracting dissolved oxygen via specialised respiratory system, respiratory organ (biology), organs called gills, cutaneous respiration, through the skin or enteral respiration, across enteral mucosae, although some are evolution, evolved from terrestrial ancestors that re-adaptation, adapted to aquatic environments (e.g. marine reptiles and marine mammals), in which case they actually use lungs to breathing, breathe air and are essentially apnea, holding their breath when living in water. Some species of gastropod mollusc, such as the Elysia chlorotica, eastern emerald sea slug, are even capable of kleptoplastic photosynthesis via endosymbiosis with ingested yellow-green algae. Almost all aquatic animals reproduce in water, either oviparously or viviparously, and many species routinely fish ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Mollusk
Mollusca is a phylum of protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum after Arthropoda. The number of additional fossil species is estimated between 60,000 and 100,000, and the proportion of undescribed species is very high. Many taxa remain poorly studied. Molluscs are the largest marine phylum, comprising about 23% of all the named marine organisms. They are highly diverse, not just in size and anatomical structure, but also in behaviour and habitat, as numerous groups are freshwater and even terrestrial species. The phylum is typically divided into 7 or 8 taxonomic classes, of which two are entirely extinct. Cephalopod molluscs, such as squid, cuttlefish, and octopuses, are among the most neurologically advanced of all invertebrates—and either the giant squid or the colossal squid is the largest known extant i ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Unionidae
The Unionidae are a Family (biology), family of freshwater mussels, the largest in the order Unionida, the bivalve molluscs sometimes known as river mussels, or simply as unionids. The range of distribution for this family is world-wide. It is at its most diverse in North America, with about 297 recognised taxa, but China and Southeast Asia also support very diverse faunas. Freshwater mussels occupy a wide range of habitats, but most often occupy lotic waters, i.e. flowing water such as rivers, streams and creeks. Origin and early diversification The recent phylogenetic study reveals that the Unionidae most likely originated in Southeast and East Asia in the Jurassic, with the earliest expansions into North America and Africa (since the mid-Cretaceous) followed by the colonization of Europe and India (since the Paleocene). Life history Unionidae burrow into the substrate, with their posterior margins exposed. They pump water through the incurrent aperture (mollusc), aperture, o ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Margaritiferidae
Margaritiferidae is a family of medium-sized freshwater mussels, aquatic bivalve molluscs in the order Unionida. Text may have been copied from this source, which is available under Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)licence. It is the most threatened of all unionid families. The family is sometimes referred to as the freshwater pearl mussel family, but " freshwater pearl mussel" more often applies to the species ''Margaritifera margaritifera''. The name refers to the thick layer of nacre (mother of pearl) lining the interior of the shell of the species, which enables them to produce pearls. Taxonomy A 2018 study suggested a new phylogeny and systematics of the Margaritiferidae, comprising two subfamilies, Gibbosulinae and Margaritiferinae, and four genera, ''Gibbosula'', ''Cumberlandia'', ''Margaritifera'', and ''Pseudunio''. This family has ancient origins, having diverged from the ancestors of the Unionidae during the Late Triassic with the crown group of the Mar ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Gill
A gill () is a respiration organ, respiratory organ that many aquatic ecosystem, aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are kept moist. The microscopic structure of a gill presents a large surface area to the external environment. Branchia (: branchiae) is the zoologists' name for gills (from Ancient Greek ). With the exception of some aquatic insects, the filaments and lamella (surface anatomy), lamellae (folds) contain blood or Coelom#Coelomic fluid, coelomic fluid, from which gases are exchanged through the thin walls. The blood carries oxygen to other parts of the body. Carbon dioxide passes from the blood through the thin gill tissue into the water. Gills or gill-like organs, located in different parts of the body, are found in various groups of aquatic animals, including Mollusc, molluscs, crustaceans, insects, fish, a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ptychobranchus Fasciolaris
''Ptychobranchus fasciolaris'' is a species of freshwater bivalve, freshwater mussel in the family Unionidae, the river mussels. Its common name is kidneyshell. Distribution and conservation status This species is native to eastern North America, where its range includes much of the Mississippi River system. It is found in the drainages of the Ohio River, Ohio, Tennessee River, Tennessee, and Cumberland Rivers.''Ptychobranchus fasciolaris''. NatureServe. 2012. The Canadian Species at Risk Act listed it in the List of Wildlife Species at Risk as an endangered species of Canada. In Canada the mussel is limited to Ontario, where it only remains in the Sydenham River (Lake Saint Clair), Sydenham and Ausable River (Lake Huron), Ausable Rivers and Lake Saint Clair (North America) ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |