Species Profile
Unio
Freshwater mussel
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumMollusca
ClassBivalvia
OrderUnknown
FamilyUnknown
Introduction
Unio lives buried in river and pond beds.
It is sedentary and filter-feeding.
Common example of lamellibranchs.
Size & Structure
01
Thick unequal shells
02
Dark brown colour
03
Large muscular foot
04
Hinge teeth present
Unio — 3D Model
General Features
- Coelom
- Eucoelomate (reduced)
- Body plan
- Tube within a tube body plan (Protostomous)
- Germ layer
- Triploblastic
- Metamerism
- Absent
- Body symmetry
- Bilateral symmetry
- Fertilization
- External
- Digestion type
- Complete, extracellular
- Nervous system
- Ganglionic
- Excretory organ
- Metanephridia
- Body temperature
- Poikilothermic, stenohaline
- Circulatory type
- Open circulation, single
- Development type
- Indirect (glochidium larva)
- Respiratory type
- Ctenidial respiration
- Mode of excretion
- Ammonotelism
- Circulation system
- Open
- Skeleton structure
- Exoskeleton (bivalved shell)
- Level of Organisation
- Organ-system level
- Regulation of Osmosis
- Osmoregulator
Ecology
Filter feeder
Improves water clarity
Freshwater ecosystem balance
Economic Importance
Pearl formation (rare)
Water quality indicator
Educational specimen