Bivalvia & Cephalopoda

Bivalvia
Welcome to the home of
Bivalvia and Cephalopoda. My
Species Encountered
name is Tim Dillavou and
(Bivalves)
these pages are devoted to
Chlamys rubida(Pacific giving some background
pink scallop)
information on bivalves and
Mytilus californianus cephalopods. They will also
(California mussel) give some more detailed
Cephalopoda information on a few species I
encountered during a marine
Species Encountered
ecology class at University of
(Cephalopods)
Washington-Tacoma during
Enteroctopus doflieni the spring of 2007.
(giant Pacific octopus)
References
Webpage created by Timothy Dillavou on 05-23-2007
 Bivalvia
Kingdom: animalia
Species Encounter
ed Phylum: mollusca
Class: Bivalvia
Chlamys rubida(pa Characteristics:
cific pink scallop) • Bivalve refers to having a shell with two halves or valves.
• All bivalves have rigid shells to provide support for their soft bodies. 
• Bivalvia is the only molluscan class characterized by the absence of a radula.
Mytilus californian • Live:
us • Marine or freshwater
(California mussel) • In or on top of sediment (epifaunal or infaunal)
• Life span varies
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• Size 2mm to over 4 feet (giant clam of the south pacific)
Tresus nuttalli Feeding/Respiration:
(pacific gaper)
• Most are filter feeders defined by a gill structure
• Some are scavengers or predators
• consume phytoplankton and other tiny organic matter that flows through their gills. 
• gills function both in respiration and in straining out food particles.
• mussels can filter 10-15 gallons of water per day.
Locomotion:
• muscular "foot" used for burrowing, or swimming (razor clams)
Crassostrea gigas • some use foot (byssal threads) for attaching to attaching to substrate (blue mussels)
(Japanese oyster) Reproduction:
• externally when eggs and sperm are released into water
• female may spawn millions of eggs in her lifetime. 
Senses:
• In many bivalves, the mantle margin has a sensory function and often possesses rows
of parallel tentacles with tactile and chemosensory cells. In some species, the siphon
tips may also possess such tentacles.
 Species Encountered
(Bivalves)
Scientific name Common name Found Observations
Chlamys rubida Pacific pink scallop Friday Harbor (otter trawl) sponge covering one side,
ears unequal size, swim

Clinocardium nuttalli Nuttalli’s cockle Fox Island & Willapa Bay oval shell, light brown,
found at 12” depth
Modiolus modiolus Horse mussel Friday Harbor (otter trawl) brownish/black shell,
Size: 5’’ long
Mytilus californianus California mussel Friday Harbor (Cattle Point & bluish/black, attached to
Argyle Point), low rocks in colonies.
Olympic Coast (Salt Creek) rounded ridges on shell

Mytilus trossulus Bay mussel Point Defiance (floating dock) smooth wedge shaped
Fox Island shell, attached to pilings
w/byssal threads

Japanese oyster Fox Island irregular ridged shell,

Crassostrea gigas Friday Harbor (False Bay) grayish/white

Ostrea lurida Native oyster Fox Island whitish gray

Pododesmus Rock oyster Point Defiance (floating dock) jingle shell, hole in middle
macrochisma Friday Harbor (Salt Creek) of lower shell, grayish

Tresus nuttalli Pacific Gaper Willapa Bay siphon: yellowish/tan,

Friday Harbor (False Bay) gaper pea crab inside clam

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 Chlamys rubida
(Pacific pink scallop)
Description: 
• prominent ribs on each valve
• grows to about 6 -7 cm long.
• swim when threatened
• many eyes around the outside, which
perceive light and direction. 
• One side of shell is covered with a
symbiotic sponge. 
Geographical Range:
• Alaska to San Diego, CA; uncommon S
of Puget Sound.
Depth Range:
• low intertidal to 300 m; mainly subtidal
Habitat:
• rocky or gravel/mud bottoms.
Life span:
• up to 6 years. 
Reproduction:
• externally when eggs and sperm are
released into water
Humans uses:
• harvested by recreational & commercial
fishermen because highly desirable
seafood.

Photos by Hannah Julich, May 2007

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 Mytilus californianus
(California sea mussel)

Photo by Dave Cowles, Little Corona del

Mar, CA March 2005
Description:
• color: bluish/ black, concentric growth lines
• shell to about 8 inches long
Geographical range:
• Alaska to southern Baja California
Depth Range:
• mainly in intertidal zone on outer coast
Habitat:
• Abundant, on surf-exposed rocks and pier
pilings in colonies for protection
Feeding:
• Filter feeder, prefer to eat fine organic
material and plankton
Life span:
• 10-100 years
Reproduction:
• Male releases sperm into water and enters
female when water is siphoned over gills

Photos by Bonnie Becker 2007

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 Cephalopoda
Kingdom: animalia
Phylum: mollusca
Class: cephalopoda
Two subclasses:
•Coleoidea: squid, cuttlefish, and octopus
•Nautiloidea: nautiluses
Characteristics:
•A funnel derived from the molluscan foot, circumoral arms that are probably
derived from the molluscan head, chitinous beaks
Habitat:
•all marine, In all seas at all depths, Octopuses are solitary living in cracks and
crevices but squid have been known to swim in large groups
Life span:
• 1-3 years (except for nautilus up to 15 yrs)
Feeding:
• carnivores: crustaceans, fish, gastropod molluscs
Respiration:
•gills
Locomotion:
•walk with use of tentacles (octopus), lateral fins to swim (cuttlefish), jet
propulsion (squids almost use exclusively)
Shell/Skeleton:
•Octopus- absent, squid- pen, cuttlefish- cuttlebone, nautilus- external
Reproduction:
•Coleoidea - lay hundreds to half a million eggs, Octopus-male typically dies after
mating and female dies after guarding eggs
•Nautiloidea- lays a few eggs each year
Senses:
•eyes similar to humans (except for nautilus), touch, storage of chemical info for
taste and texture
Special notes:
back •change color, texture, and shape, very intelligent
 Species Encountered
(Cephalopods)
Scientific name Common name Found Observations

Enteroctopus Giant Pacific Olympic coast (Salt Only tentacle found

doflieni octopus creek), Seattle at Salt creek (still
aquarium changing color &
suctioning)
 Enteroctopus doflieni
(giant Pacific Octopus)
Description:
• largest species in the world, up to 400 lbs
and 25 feet arm span
Geographical range:
• Pacific ocean
• common in Puget Sound
Depth Range:
• intertidal to 750 m
Habitat:
• rocky crevices
Feeding:
• crustaceans, mollusks, fish
Picture by Bonnie Becker, 2007
Life span:
• 3-5 years
Reproduction:
• female lays between 20,000 to 100,000
eggs and tends the eggs until hatched
and then dies
Human uses:
• food, display in aquariums, and for use
as bait in other fisheries

back Picture by Greg Gilbert The Seattle Times, 2003

 References
• The University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences website accessed on 03-31-2007
http://tolweb.org/tree/phylogeny.html

• State of Washington website accessed on 04-02-2007

http://depts.washington.edu/natmap/mollusks/3bivafile.html

• Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences website accessed on 04-03-2007

http://www.thecephalopodpage.org/

• Smithsonian National Zoological Park website accessed on 04-03-2007

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/Invertebrates/Facts/cephalopods/

• State University of New York College at Cortland website accessed on 03-31-2007

http://www.cortland.edu/

• University of Michigan Museum of Zoology website accessed on 04-04-2006

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Bivalvia.html

• University of Hawaii at Manoa website accessed on 04-04-2007

www.soest.hawaii.edu

• American Society of Limnology and Oceanography website accessed on 04-04-2007

www.aslo.org

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