Pectinidae
Pectinidae
Pectinidae (pronounced: pek-tin-i-dee) is a large family of bivalve mollusks, commonly known as scallops. They are marine animals found in all of the world's oceans, and are known for their distinctive fan-shaped shells.
Etymology
The term "Pectinidae" is derived from the Latin word "pecten", which means "comb", referring to the comb-like ridges on the shell of scallops.
Description
Members of the Pectinidae family have two hinged shells or "valves" that are typically fan-shaped, with a straight hinge line or "dorsal margin", and a curved "ventral margin". The exterior of the shell is often ridged and can be highly colored, while the interior is smooth and usually white.
Scallops have a unique method of locomotion among bivalves, which involves the rapid opening and closing of their shells to expel water in a kind of jet propulsion.
Related Terms
- Bivalve: A class of marine and freshwater mollusks that have laterally compressed bodies enclosed by a shell consisting of two hinged parts.
- Mollusk: A large phylum of invertebrate animals, many of which have a calcareous shell of one, two, or more pieces.
- Marine biology: The scientific study of organisms in the ocean or other marine bodies of water.
See Also
- Oyster: Another family of bivalves, known for their economic and culinary value.
- Clam: A general term used to refer to several kinds of bivalve mollusks.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Pectinidae
- Wikipedia's article - Pectinidae
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski