Resilium

The hinge area in one valve of a scallop shell (Pectinidae), showing the space for the internal ligament, known as the resilifer

In anatomy, a resilium is part of the shell of certain bivalve mollusks. It is an internal ligament, which holds the two valves together and is located in a pit or depression known as the resilifer.

The resilium is part of the hinge mechanism in certain taxonomic families of bivalve shells, such as oysters and scallops.^[1][2][3] A resilium (and the resilifer, its associated contact point) is the primary structure comprising the type of bivalve hinge that is known as an "disodont" hinge.

References

1. "Bivalves - General Morphology". Paleontological Laboratory at SUNY Cortland. Archived from the original on 29 January 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
2. Leal, J.H. "Bivalves" (PDF). Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 April 2004. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
3. Dr. Burt Carter. "Invertebrate Paleobiology on-line syllabus on Bivalves". Georgia Southwestern State University. Archived from the original on 25 February 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2021.