(photo credit: North West Food News)
“Love is in the air” -Shared from The Nature Conservancy
“Male mussels release sperm into the water, which females capture downstream. Larvae hatch inside the females’ shells but must then attach to a fish to grow. To lure fish, mother mussels wave appendages that look like worms, crayfish or other bait. Some emit a smell of rotting flesh to attract scavenger fish. When fish approach, the mussels shoot the larvae onto the fish.” Read more about the TNC’s work conserving freshwater mussels.
The western ridged mussel (Gonidea angulata) is widely distributed from southern British Columbia to southern California, and can be found east to Idaho and Nevada. G. angulata inhabits cold creeks and streams from low to mid-elevations. Hardhead, Pit sculpin and Tule perch are documented fish hosts for G. angulata in northern California, although little is known about the fish species that serve as hosts for this mussel throughout other parts of its range.
G. angulata is sedentary as an adult and probably lives for 20-30 years, and thus can be an important indicator of habitat quality. G. angulata is a filter feeder that consumes plankton and other suspended solids, nutrients and contaminants from the water column. The large beds of G. angulata can improve water quality by reducing turbidity and controlling nutrient levels. Some Native American tribes historically harvested this animal and used it for food, tools and adornment.
Populations of G. angulata have likely been extirpated in central and southern California, and it has probably declined in abundance in numerous watersheds, including the Columbia and Snake River watersheds in Washington and Oregon. The western ridged mussel belongs to a monotypic genus and thus should be considered a high priority for conservation. Lack of information on the western ridged mussel’s current and historical abundance and distribution, and a lack of understanding of which host fish species it uses will impede conservation efforts. (source: Xerces Society)
A Guide to Southern Idaho’s Fresh Water Mullusks
Filed under: Conservation, Education Tagged: | habitat
