velum
Quick Summary
The veliger is a larval stage common in many mollusks, including marine snails and bivalves. It develops from an earlier larval form called the trochophore.12
The defining feature of the veliger is its velum, a prominent, ciliated organ composed of lobes. This velum serves multiple crucial functions for the larva:13
* Locomotion: It is used for swimming through the water.12
* Feeding: The cilia help to capture tiny food particles from the water.12
* Respiration: It also aids in gas exchange.1
As the veliger larva undergoes metamorphosis into its adult form, the velum is either absorbed or shed. During this transformation, the mollusk also begins to develop its characteristic foot and shell.12
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
- veliger
…has large, ciliated lobes (velum). The velum forms from the ciliary ring (prototroch), a characteristic of the trochophore stage. The velum is used for swimming, feeding, and gas exchange, and it is resorbed or lost as the mollusk metamorphoses into its adult stage. In addition, the mollusk begins to…
Read More…has large, ciliated lobes (velum). The velum forms from the ciliary ring (prototroch), a characteristic of the trochophore stage. The velum is used for swimming, feeding, and gas exchange, and it is resorbed or lost as the mollusk metamorphoses into its adult stage. In addition, the mollusk begins to…
Read More 
molluskReproduction and life cycles…cells widens to form a velum that entraps food and also propels the microscopic mollusk through the water. As the larva continues to develop, the shell, mantle cavity, tentacles, and foot appear. After a specific amount of time, which varies according to species and environmental conditions, the larva loses the…
Read More…cells widens to form a velum that entraps food and also propels the microscopic mollusk through the water. As the larva continues to develop, the shell, mantle cavity, tentacles, and foot appear. After a specific amount of time, which varies according to species and environmental conditions, the larva loses the…
Read More- bivalveReproduction and life cycles
The veliger has a ciliated velum for swimming and also for trapping minute particles of food. Following a period in the plankton, which varies from hours in some species to months in others, the veliger descends to the seafloor, where it metamorphoses into the adult form: the velum is lost,…
Read MoreThe veliger has a ciliated velum for swimming and also for trapping minute particles of food. Following a period in the plankton, which varies from hours in some species to months in others, the veliger descends to the seafloor, where it metamorphoses into the adult form: the velum is lost,…
Read More