Bivalves are the animals that belong to the class Bivalvia. Bivalves include species of clams, mussels, oysters, etc. There are about 15000 species included in bivalves. Bivalves lack head and usual molluscan organs. They are characterized by a shell that is divided into right and left valves. They have soft inner body parts.

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Bivalves are classified as herbivores because they eat marine plants, algae, and bacteria for nutrition. Bivalves also eat micro animals but they are mostly characterized as herbivores. Bivalves are found all around the world’s oceans. They prefer to live on the bottom of lakes, seas, and rivers because at the bottom they found some protection from predators.

Bivalves vary in size according to the species. 

A bivalve size ranges from 0.04 inches up to more than 54 inches in length. The largest bivalve weighs about 582 pounds. Bivalves can live for about 3 years and can exceed more than 20 years. They are found abundant in shallow water sand or mud.

Fungi and plants

Most bivalves eat particles of food from surrounding water. Some species eat mud particles and extract any food material which mud contains. The majority of bivalves feed on plant detritus, algae, and bacteria. Some bivalves are filter feeders and they live on phytoplankton and algae only. Some species of bivalves eat bits of animals and plants floating on water.

Animals

Some species of bivalves eat Zooplankton and some micro aquatic animals which are present in water.

How do bivalves eat?

Bivalves capture their food through gills and cilia which are present near gills. The food is then transported to the mouth through labial palps which bind with the mucus. Then the selection of food occurs. As bivalves don’t have a head they eat their food by filtering processes from the water where they exist.