What do bivalves eat?

Bivalves eat plankton and other microalgae though some bivalves are also carnivorous. Bivalves typically are not carnivorous because they do not have the internal organs that are needed in order to process meat for food.

Bivalves are a type of animal that consists of mollusks such as oysters and clams. These animals live in or near oceans and have gills that work to filter out food from the ocean water in order to eat. The carnivorous bivalves eat by using a hood extension to eat smaller animals, primarily crustaceans. One example of a carnivorous bivalve is the clam species called Poromya granulata.