Hinge line

The hinge of a blue mussel, Mytilidae

A hinge line is an imaginary longitudinal line along the dorsal edge of the shell of a bivalve mollusk where the two valves hinge or articulate. The hinge line can easily be perceived in these images of a mussel shell and an ark shell.^[1]^[2]^[3]

The hinge teeth, structures which control the articulation of the valves, are often but not always situated along the hinge line.

Part of the hinge line of one valve of an ark shell, Arcidae

References[]

^ http://paleo.cortland.edu/tutorial/Bivalves/bivalvemorph.htm
^ Bivalves by J.H. Leal, Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum, Florida, USA "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-05-11. Retrieved 2012-11-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ Invertebrate Paleobiology on-line syllabus on Bivalves, by Dr. Burt Carter, Georgia Southwestern State University, at: http://itc.gsw.edu/faculty/bcarter/paleo/labs/moll/biv2.htm

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[1] ttp://paleo.cortland.edu/tutorial/Bivalves/bivalvemorph.htm

[2] Bivalves by J.H. Leal, Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum, Florida, USA "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-05-11. Retrieved 2012-11-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[3] Invertebrate Paleobiology on-line syllabus on Bivalves, by Dr. Burt Carter, Georgia Southwestern State University, at: http://itc.gsw.edu/faculty/bcarter/paleo/labs/moll/biv2.htm

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v t Bivalve anatomy
Shell	Callus Hinge line Hinge teeth Ligament Lira Lunule Nacre Pallial line Pallial sinus Periostracum Prodissoconch Resilifer Resilium Sculpture Umbo Valve Beak Annuli
Other hard parts	Byssus Pearl Sea silk
Soft parts	Adductor muscles Ctenidium Gastric shield Mantle Nephridium Siphon
Other	Abductin Glochidium Pseudofeces Trochophore Veliger