Which animals eat mussels

They eat phytoplankton faster than zooplankton in the water does. This means zooplankton and the fish that live in the open water like walleye, salmon, and lake trout have less to eat.

Also, zebra mussels don't like to eat certain kinds of toxic blue-green algae. When zebra mussels have spread to inland lakes in North America, the amount of this toxic type of algae increases.

See the references for more information on the many ecological effects of zebra mussels, especially in North America. Zebra Mussels were added to freshwater lakes in the Netherlands to help make the water more transparent they eat the phytoplankton that makes the waters cloudy. Other cities in other countries have done the same. Nalepa and Schloesser, ; Neumann and Jenner, Zebra mussels are still common and abundant in their original range, and have spread far beyond it.

They are not considered to be in any need of special conservation efforts. Great Lakes Information Network, Invasive Species in the Great Lakes Region. Molloy, D. Karatayev, L. Burlakova, D. Kurandina, F. Natural enemies of zebra mussels: predators, parasites, and ecological competitors. Nalepa, T. Zebra Mussels: Biology, Impact, and Control. Neumann, D. The Zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha : ecology, biological monitoring and first applications in the water quality management.

Department of Agriculture, National Invasive Species Information Center. Non-indigenous Aquatic Species. Animal Diversity Web Cybertracker Tools. All rights reserved. Skip directly to main content. Kids' Inquiry of Diverse Species. Critter Catalog.

Information Pictures Classification. Dreissena polymorpha What do they look like? Geological Survey, Zebra mussels have a free-swimming larval stage. Geological Survey, Other Physical Features ectothermic heterothermic bilateral symmetry Sexual Dimorphism sexes alike Range length 2 high cm 0. Geological Survey, Biogeographic Regions nearctic introduced palearctic native What kind of habitat do they need?

Geological Survey, These animals are found in the following types of habitat temperate freshwater Aquatic Biomes lakes and ponds rivers and streams Other Habitat Features estuarine Range depth 1 to 60 m 3.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity female 1 years Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity male 1 years The only parental investment is in the production of eggs and sperm. Parental Investment no parental involvement How long do they live? Geological Survey, Range lifespan Status: wild 9 high hours How do they behave? Geological Survey, Key Behaviors natatorial sessile motile solitary How do they communicate with each other? Geological Survey, Primary Diet planktivore Plant Foods phytoplankton Other Foods detritus microbes Foraging Behavior filter-feeding What eats them and how do they avoid being eaten?

Geological Survey, What roles do they have in the ecosystem? Geological Survey, Do they cause problems? They attach themselves to solid and stable areas usually rocks, docks, boats and other stable aquatic structures and allow water to wash over them in order to filter feed. Other mussels like to bury themselves beneath sand, mud, wood and sunken objects underwater. They'll then use their "foot" to drag themselves along the mud, sand and silt in order to filter feed.

Because of their proximity to shore and sometimes exposure to the air as tides go in and out, one of the biggest mussels predators are birds. Various species of gulls, ducks, geese and other aquatic birds are their main predators. Some birds will dive under the water to grab buried mussels and crack them open with their powerful beaks. Sea stars starfish also commonly eat mussels. They use their many "arms" to scoop the mussels out from under the sand and swallow them whole, extract the "meat" and spit out the shell.

Sea snails have a bit of a different method: they'll make a tiny hole in the mussel's shell and "suck" the meat out. Mammals like otters and sea lions also eat muscles, and humans are also some of the top predators for mussels.

To get to the meat, people usually steam or boil the mussel until the shell cracks open, and then they scoop out the meat. Elliot Walsh holds a B. S in Cell and Developmental Biology and a B. A in English Literature from the University of Rochester. He's worked in multiple academic research labs, at a pharmaceutical company, as a TA for chemistry, and as a tutor in STEM subjects.

Marine mussels reproduce by releasing their eggs and sperm into the water. The young then begin life as floating plankton for between one and six months before settling on the bottom as an adult. With freshwater mussels, the male releases sperm into the water which then enters the female via her incurrent siphon.

After feeding on the fish during their larval stage, they detach themselves, fall to the bottom, and begin their adult stage. Most marine mussels and the invasive freshwater Zebra mussel; which is not within either the Palaeoheterodonta or Pteriomorphia subclasses use threads calls byssus to attach themselves to underwater rocks, jetties, and other structures.

Freshwater mussels are more mobile, using their powerful foot to move along the substrate and bury themselves. Freshwater mussels are also known for their longevity. Some species are known to live for over years. Although some marine clams are thought to surpass the century mark, marine mussel likely do not. Tags: endangered species , marine , mussels , New Jersey. This entry was posted on Monday, August 27th, at pm and is filed under Invertebrates , Marine.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.