lamellibranchia

2 definitions found

lamellibranchia - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Lamellibranchia \La*mel`li*bran"chi*a\, Lamellibranchiata
  \La*mel`li*bran`chi*a"ta\, n. pl. [NL. See lamella, and
     Branchia, Branchiate.] (Zool.)
     An earlier name for the class of Mollusca including all those
     that have bivalve shells, as the clams, oysters, mussels,
     etc., now called Pelecypoda or Bivalvia.
     [1913 Webster +PJC]
  
     Note: They usually have two (rarely but one) flat,
           lamelliform gills on each side of the body. They have
           an imperfectly developed head, concealed within the
           shell, whence they are called {Acephala}. Called also
           Conchifera, and Pelecypoda. See Bivalve.
           [1913 Webster]

lamellibranchia - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  Lamellibranchia
      n 1: oysters; clams; scallops; mussels [syn: Bivalvia, class Bivalvia
           , Lamellibranchia, class Lamellibranchia,
           class Pelecypoda]