by
Vaughn Entwistle, Features Editor, International Aquafeed
Mussels are the generic name for bivalve molluscs found in fresh water and salt-water habitats. They can tolerate living in a wide variety of microhabitats, everything from tidal areas to fully submerged zones, and can thrive in a wide range of water temperatures and salinities. Their hard oval shell is divided into two halves, or valves (hence the term “bivalve”) which can split down the middle to reveal a soft orange fleshy body inside. Mussels have two sets of gills, one in each shell half.
The shells support the internal structures and form a hard-defensive shield against predators. A muscular foot protrudes from between the shell halves which aids the mussel in moving, burrowing, or in anchoring the animal to the substrate. The shells are typically grey to black in colour but can sometimes have a bluish or even purple tint.
Most mussels are a maximum of 4-5 cm in length, but they can grow to over 10cm in length. Mussels use their byssal threads (often referred to as their ‘beard’) to attach themselves to rocks or man-made structures such as groynes (a wall or jetty), often located between the high and low water marks.
Mussels usually cluster together in large groups (mussel beds), which can consist of hundreds or even thousands of individual mussels. Mussels are filter feeders that draw in seawater and filter it to consume the plankton and other tiny sea creatures floating free in suspension. Breathing also occurs as this water is passed across the gills.
Read the full article in the International Aquafeed magazine online, HERE.
Mussels are the generic name for bivalve molluscs found in fresh water and salt-water habitats. They can tolerate living in a wide variety of microhabitats, everything from tidal areas to fully submerged zones, and can thrive in a wide range of water temperatures and salinities. Their hard oval shell is divided into two halves, or valves (hence the term “bivalve”) which can split down the middle to reveal a soft orange fleshy body inside. Mussels have two sets of gills, one in each shell half.
The shells support the internal structures and form a hard-defensive shield against predators. A muscular foot protrudes from between the shell halves which aids the mussel in moving, burrowing, or in anchoring the animal to the substrate. The shells are typically grey to black in colour but can sometimes have a bluish or even purple tint.
Most mussels are a maximum of 4-5 cm in length, but they can grow to over 10cm in length. Mussels use their byssal threads (often referred to as their ‘beard’) to attach themselves to rocks or man-made structures such as groynes (a wall or jetty), often located between the high and low water marks.
Mussels usually cluster together in large groups (mussel beds), which can consist of hundreds or even thousands of individual mussels. Mussels are filter feeders that draw in seawater and filter it to consume the plankton and other tiny sea creatures floating free in suspension. Breathing also occurs as this water is passed across the gills.
Read the full article in the International Aquafeed magazine online, HERE.
The Aquaculturists
This blog is maintained by The Aquaculturists staff and is supported by the
magazine International Aquafeed which is published by Perendale Publishers Ltd
For additional daily news from aquaculture around the world: aquaculture-news
No comments:
Post a Comment