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Introduction
Bivalves are the clams and mussels of our aquatic environments. The word Bivalva (Bi= "two", valva="shells") is a misnomer. Actually, there is only a single shell secreted with a left and right lobe. Many people tend to think that one half of a clam shell is the top and the other is the bottom. Actually, these animals are laterally flattened - there is a shell on the lefthand side and the right hand side. The mouth (incurrent canal) and anus (outcurrent canal) are located at the anterior end, and while the foot extends out the posterior.
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