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What are adductor muscles in articulate lamp shells?
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lamp shells
Lamp shells on the sea floor off the coast of Massachusetts.
In articulate brachiopods (lamp shells), the adductor muscles are responsible for closing the valves of the shell. When these muscles contract, they pull the valves together. In the ventral valve, the adductor muscles are positioned between the diductor muscles, which are the muscles responsible for opening the shell.1