Ecophenotype

The expression of the genetic material residing within the cell represents the genotype, whereas the variation resulting solely from environmental influences (i.e., habitat) is referred to as the ecophenotype.

Moreover, the smooth ecophenotype is related to a closed, oxygen deleted environment whereas the reticulate ecophenotype occurs in a well oxygenated environment in which there is a maximal precipitation of carbonates.

Some lagoon species have been regarded previously simply as morphological variants - phenotypes - of similar marine species: Cerastoderma glaucum was long considered an ecophenotype of the common cockle, C. edule.