As molluscs like the oyster grow, so too must their protective shell. Like tree rings, we can use the rings produced by seasonal growth to age these animals. This information is vital to monitoring and sustaining natural and harvested populations. Image courtesy of Dr Lawrence Eagling.
Category: Anatomy Snippet
Mouth of a brittle star, Ophiocoma echinata
Five mouth parts of a brittle star, with teeth. Brittle stars often eat detritus and sometimes filter organic particles in the water column. This specimen was collected in Bocas del Toro, Panama. Image: LSR
Anatomy To You 