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bivalve summary

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Discover the characteristics of bivalves

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Below is the article summary. For the full article, see bivalve.
(Left) Quahog (Mercenaria); (right) soft-shell clam (Mya)
clam Summary
Clam, in general, any member of the invertebrate class Bivalvia—mollusks with a bivalved shell (i.e., one with two separate sections). More than 15,000 living species of bivalves are known, of which about 500 live in fresh water; the others occur in all seas. Bivalves usually live on or in sandy or
Oyster
oyster Summary
Oyster, any member of the families Ostreidae (true oysters) or Aviculidae (pearl oysters), bivalve mollusks found in temperate and warm coastal waters of all oceans. Bivalves known as thorny oysters (Spondylus) and saddle oysters (Anomia) are sometimes included in the group. True oysters have been