ClamsLingering at the shores and at bed of ocean floors, filter-feeder clams diet are a vital part of the ecosystem. Without clams, the food chain would be disrupted and algae outbreaks would be almost inevitable.
Responsive & InteractiveBeing a filter feeder, the food/algae enters through the siphon and to the mucus-filled gills which separate the water and the particles. It then reaches the labial palp which acts like our lips, and either accepts or rejects the food that is presented to it. Since the mouth has little to no function, the food is then directly transported to the stomach where the food is processed and broken down. After, the food reaches the intestines where the proteins and nutrients are sent to cells. Finally, the waste is excreted through the anus.
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