CLASSIFICATION OF MAGELLANIA
PHYLUM :- BRACHIOPODA (Lophophore contains coiled arms).
CLASS :- ARTICULATA (Shell valves articulate by hinge).
ORDER :- TEREBRATULIDA
FAMILY :-TEREBRATELLIDAE
Genus : Magellania
SPECIES :- tenticullaria
HABIT AND HABITAT
Magellania is exclusively a marine animal, preferably in cool waters and abundantly found in Japan, Southern Australia, the Mediterranean. Arctic and Antarctic. These sedentary forms are never found in colonies.
GENERAL CHARACTERSTICS OF MAGELLANIA
- Animal comprises of two unequal pinkish shell valves.
- Body is enclosed by unequal bivalve dorsal and ventral shell valves.
- Posteriorly the ventral shell projects as a conical beak perforated by an aperture through which fleshy peduncle extends and attaches permanently to the bottom of the sea.
- Shell in dorsal view reveals lines of growth, hinge line, deltidium, foramen, beak and part of ventral shell.
- W-shaped lophophore between mantle lobes is supported by slimy calcareous shell loop. Lophophore has long ciliated tentacles for the capture of the prey.
- Blood vascular system is poorly developed and consists of a dorsal longitudinal vessel within dorsal heart from which vessels radiate to end blindly.
- Nephridia lie on either side of the intestine, and they open into coelom by nephrostome. Nephridia act as gonoducts.
- Nervous system comprises of a gonglionated circum-oesophageal ring from which peripheral nerves arise.
- Sexes are separate. The gonadial products are discharged through the excretory ducts (gonoducts).
- The larva resembles somewhat to trochophore.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Brachiopods, have long fossil history. They resemble with molluscs but differs from molluscs in having unequal shells and lophophore.
IDENTIFICATION
- has beak in ventral shell valve and all above feature, hence it is Magellania.
REFERENCES :-
- https://www.researchgate.net/figure/ndividual-of-Magellania
- https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Magellania/classification/
- Book of Practical Zoology VERTEBRATE by S.S.LAL – Rastogi Publications.
