Nature Atlas

How Nature Works
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme

Switch Atlas

Taxa

Brachiopoda

Phylum

Brachiopods, forming the phylum Brachiopoda, are marine animals with hard upper and lower valves, unlike the left-and-right shell arrangement of bivalve mollusks to which they are only distantly related. Brachiopod valves are hinged at the rear and can be opened at the front for feeding or closed for protection, and the phylum was far more abundant and diverse in the geological past than it is today.

Facts
Taxonomic Rank
Phylum / Division 1
Scientific Name
Brachiopoda 1
Member Species/Taxa Count
330 1
Geographic Distribution
Brachiopods are an entirely marine phylum, with no known freshwater species. 1
Defining Characteristics
Brachiopods have a lophophore, a crown of tentacles whose cilia create a water current that lets them filter food particles out of the water. 1
Identification
Distinguishing Appearance
Brachiopod valves are hinged at the rear end, while the front can be opened for feeding or closed for protection. 1
Classification
Living or Extinct
Yes 2
Sources
1. Brachiopod (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • Lead section, first sentence
    Brachiopods (), phylum Brachiopoda, are a phylum of animals that have hard "valves" (shells) on the upper and lower surfaces, unlike the left and right arrangement in bivalve molluscs.
  • Taxonomy, Taxonomic history subsection
    About 330 living species are recognized, grouped into over 100 genera.
  • Anatomy, Lophophore subsection
    brachiopods have a lophophore, a crown of tentacles whose cilia (fine hairs) create a water current that enables them to filter food particles out of the water.
  • Lead section, second sentence
    Brachiopod valves are hinged at the rear end, while the front can be opened for feeding or closed for protection.
  • Ecology, Distribution and habitat subsection
    Brachiopods are an entirely marine phylum, with no known freshwater species.
  • In Group: Minor Animal Phyla, Lead
    Brachiopods (), phylum Brachiopoda, are a phylum of animals that have hard "valves" (shells) on the upper and lower surfaces, unlike the left and right arrangement in bivalve molluscs.
View the Source
2. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ178272, descriptionView the Source
Wikidata: Brachiopoda
Wikidata Q178272, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.