Most species of this marine phylum went extinct during the Permian- Triassic extinction event, and although they possess both dorsal and ventral valves, they are not to be confused with bivalve molluscs, which are arranged horizontally, rather than vertically.
Most species of this marine phylum went extinct during the Permian- Triassic extinction event, and although they possess both dorsal and ventral valves, they are not to be confused with bivalve molluscs, which are arranged horizontally, rather than vertically. Similar to molluscs, members of this phylum have a mantle which encloses internal organs which also has diverticula which may contribute to respiration. Members of this phylum have what is known as a lophophore, which has ciliated tentacles used for filtering food particles out of water. The most distinctive feature of this phylum is the pedicle, which this phylum uses to attach to the sea floor, although this is not functional in some species. Most members of this phylum can repair themselves if needed, although this is infrequent as apparently fish and crustaceans find them distasteful. FTP, what is this marine phylum, home to the inarticulate Lingula genus which has been described as a ‘living fossil', with a name coming from the Greek for "arm-foot".
Most species of this marine phylum went extinct during the Permian- Triassic extinction event, and although they possess both dorsal and ventral valves, they are not to be confused with bivalve molluscs, which are arranged horizontally, rather than vertically.
{Brachiopoda}