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Brachiopod

Bryozoans and Lophophorates

Brachiopods, phylum Brachiopoda, are animals with hard valves, or shells, on their upper and lower surfaces, unlike the left-and-right arrangement of bivalve molluscs. Their shells are hinged at the rear and can be opened at the front for feeding or closed for protection; two main groups exist, articulate forms with toothed hinges and inarticulate forms with weaker, untoothed hinges. Most living brachiopods are marine, favoring cold water and low light, and around 400 species survive today, a small remnant of the phylum's former dominance during the Paleozoic.

Facts
Classification
Diet
Filter Feeder 1
System (Realm)
Marine 2
Relationship to People
Hunted or Fished 1
Living or Extinct
Yes 3
Identification
Distinguishing Appearance
Two valves unequal in size and structure, each with its own symmetrical form rather than mirror images 1
Comparison
CITES Appendix
Not Listed 4
Scientific Name
Brachiopoda 1
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Spiralia, Taxa
Source Wikidata: Brachiopoda

In Biome

Marine, Biomes
Source Wikidata: Brachiopoda
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Denmark

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Norway

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sweden

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

United States

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources
1. Brachiopod (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • Introduction
    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.
  • Shell structure and function
    The valves are unequal in size and structure, with each having its own symmetrical form rather than the two being mirror images of each other.
  • Article text
    Among brachiopods, only the lingulids (Lingula sp.) have been fished commercially, on a very small scale.
  • Diet and feeding
    the brachiopods were among the most abundant filter-feeders and reef-builders
  • In Group: Lophophorate Phyla, Lead
    Brachiopods are part of the broader group Lophophorata, alongside Bryozoa and Phoronida, with which they share the characteristic lophophores.
View the Source
2. GBIF Species API
GBIF Species APIView the Source
3. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ178272, descriptionView the Source
4. UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat): Species+: Animalia
UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat)Species+ taxon_concepts, id 23
Quote, Species+ taxon_concepts, id 23
"cites_listing":"I/II/III/NC","eu_listing":"A/B/C/D/NC","higher_taxa":{"kingdom":"Animalia","phylum":null,"class":null,"order":null,"family":null},"synonyms":[],"common_names":[{"name":"Animals","language":"EN"},{"name":"Fauna","language":"EN"},{"name":"Animaux","language":"FR"}],"cites_listings":[]
View the Source
Wikidata: Brachiopoda
  • Wikidata Q178272, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
  • Child Taxon Of: Spiralia, Wikidata P171 (parent taxon)
  • In Biome: Marine, Introduction
View the Source
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