CA students dissect mussels

Canton Academy senior marine biology students have been learning about phylum mollusca and recently had the opportunity to dissect mussels in order to identify the features of bivalve mollusks. According to the National Ocean Service, like fish, bivalve mollusks breathe through their gills. As filter feeders, bivalves gather food through their gills. Some bivalves have a pointed, retractable “foot” that protrudes from the shell and digs into the surrounding sediment, effectively enabling the creature to move or burrow.