How do clam shrimp use their bivalved carapace?

Clam shrimp, which belong to the crustacean subclass Branchiopoda, use their bivalved carapace primarily as a protective enclosure for their entire body.12

This shell, which gives the animal its clamlike appearance, houses the trunk and its associated appendages. Inside this protective structure, the shrimp carries up to 28 pairs of leaflike limbs that serve two critical functions: they filter microscopic food particles from the water and assist in locomotion for species that swim. By enclosing the trunk, limbs, and gills, the carapace provides a vital shield for the animal's internal systems while it inhabits freshwater environments like ponds and temporary pools.12