Clam shrimp
Clam shrimp Temporal range:
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California clam shrimp, Cyzicus californicus | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Branchiopoda |
Subclass: | Phyllopoda
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Superorder: | Diplostraca |
Orders of clam shrimp | |
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Clam shrimp are a group of bivalved
Characteristics
Both valves of the shell are held together by a strong closing muscle. The animals react to danger by contracting the muscle, so that the valves close tightly and the crustacean, as if dead, lies motionlessly at the bottom of the pool.
In most species the head is
The number of segments constituting the thorax varies from 10 to 32, and the number of legs varies accordingly. They are similar in structure to the legs of
Reproduction and development
Reproduction
Clam shrimp have different reproductive strategies. For example, within the family
Life cycle
The eggs are surrounded by a tough shell and can withstand drying out, freezing and other hostile conditions. In some species these eggs can hatch after as long as 7 years.
When the egg arrives in a suitable pool, a larva hatches out at the
Taxonomy
Extant clam shrimp belong to three orders, divided into five families;
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Geological history
Modern clam shrimp have little significance to humans. However, extinct species of these crustaceans are often studied by
During the past geological periods clam shrimp were apparently more numerous and diverse than they are now. 300 extinct species are known, and half as many living species. The oldest clam shrimp, such as Asmussia murchisoniana, were found in Devonian deposits. Many extinct species, mostly Triassic specimens, once lived in marine environments, where no extant clam shrimp inhabit today.
References
- Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen. 158 (2): 259–275.
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- ^ "Diplostraca". WoRMS, World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
- S2CID 1932950.
- ^ Joel W. Martin & George E. Davis (2001). An Updated Classification of the Recent Crustacea (PDF). Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. p. 132. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-05-12. Retrieved 2011-04-04.
- S2CID 189973963. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
External links
- [1]
- Introduction to the Branchiopoda
- Data related to Cyclestherida at Wikispecies
- Data related to Laevicaudata at Wikispecies
- Data related to Spinicaudata at Wikispecies