The Pterioidea
is a morphologically diverse group with a fossil record extending as
far back as the lower Middle Ordovician. Throughout the Phanerozoic,
the pterioideans have occupied a remarkable variety of epifaunal and
semi-infaunal habitats in tropical and subtropical continental shelf
regions around the globe, and have been and continue to be integral
components of coral reef and mangrove ecosystems, forming byssal
attachment to diverse substrata. In the early Jurassic, pterioideans
were important reef builders.
is a morphologically diverse group with a fossil record extending as
far back as the lower Middle Ordovician. Throughout the Phanerozoic,
the pterioideans have occupied a remarkable variety of epifaunal and
semi-infaunal habitats in tropical and subtropical continental shelf
regions around the globe, and have been and continue to be integral
components of coral reef and mangrove ecosystems, forming byssal
attachment to diverse substrata. In the early Jurassic, pterioideans
were important reef builders.
Some pterioidean species have received
much attention as a commercial source of pearls and nacre over the
centuries, and, more recently, as a model system for bone regeneration
studies and invasive species.
much attention as a commercial source of pearls and nacre over the
centuries, and, more recently, as a model system for bone regeneration
studies and invasive species.