Is There A Special Name For Molluscs With Two Shells Like Oysters?
Molluscs belong to the diverse phylum Mollusca, which includes a number of creatures, including clams, oysters, snails, cuttlefish and octopus. Most molluscs have decorative shells, which are a prized possession, and many varieties are edible too. There are about 30,000 species of molluscs that have two-part shells, and these types of molluscs are known collectively as bivalves, which is the appropriate scientific term for this group. They belong to the class bivalvia. Other synonyms for the class bivalvia include Bivalva, Pelecypoda and Lamellibranchia. Animals like scallops, clams, oysters and mussels are members of this class, and are extremely popular the world over as seafood delicacies. They are exclusively aquatic (both marine and freshwater) animals, and their natural habitat can only be either oceans or rivers. They feed using their gills and have an open circulatory system that supplies blood to all their organs.
