Essay on four families within the phylum mollusca include

Question 1

– Mytilidae
– Ostreidae
– Pectinidae
– Acmaeidae

Question 2

First, I am going to talk about the family Mytilidae. This family consists of approximately thirty two different species. These species are found worldwide but do prefer colder seas more than the tropical areas and the hot areas. The intertidal zones are the places where they often form. The rocky shores happen to be the places that they like most but above all, they prefer large beds where they like to expose themselves. In as much as these are the places they like, they prefer sticking on to rocks and roots of roots and any other hard surface. There are those that form nests in the sand or mudflats and prefer staying there.
Just like many other bivalves, they are filter feeders. When there is a high tide, they open their shells; they then produce a current of water through the shell and then sieve out the particles of food with their enlarged gills. But when the tide is out, they clamp their shells tightly in order to prevent water loss.
Secondly, there is a class called Ostreidae. This family consists of about twelve to fifteen different species. They are a favorite sea food to many people and this therefore means that they prefer living on the shores where they are easily caught. They commonly stay near rocks and hard surfaces too. It is common phenomenon to find them clinging onto debris and even ship wrecks. Apparently they are found worldwide but most commonly in salty sea waters. They prefer more temperate places that have shallows that are rich in nutrients.
They are also filter feeders because they get their food and nutrients by taking in water and use their gills to filter the food. The food is then ingested into the stomach from where the food is digested. The remaining water is then dispensed out of the shell. This family just behaves like most of the other bivalves. When they are submerged, they open their valves slightly and this is the time when they suck in a current of water. This is when the food and nutrients are sieved. Whenever there is no tide, they too clamp their valves in order to avoid losing a lot of water.

Question 3

These two families have very interesting characteristics about themselves. To begin with, I am going to talk about Ostreidae. Some members of this family like oysters, when reproducing, can either produce eggs or larvae. There are those species that can also change their gender and others are hermaphrodites. There are also those that are predominantly male or female depending on the location where they are found. These attributes make the members of this family stand out because the family is rich in characteristics. When it comes to members of the family Mytilidae, their interesting feature comes in when they are served and prepared as edible food. Different people prepare it differently and therefore consumed differently. For instance, in Belgium, Netherlands and France, they are a delicacy that is served with French fries and bread; they can also be served with fresh herbs and beer too. But in Italy, they are served with white wine, water and lemon. They can also be served with other dishes like rice and soups.