How do Mussels reprodoce?
Not sure if this in the right cat. but couldn't see a 'nature' option.
How do they do it 'cos they have shells? Surely they aren't born with shells?
Do they grow them? How?
Thanks x
Cloudy1 Tue 08/07/08 21:34
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I don't know, but I am surprised you couldn't see a nature option when it is staring you in the face.....
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In the summer when mussels are ready to reproduce, the males merely release sperm into the water, and the females catch what they can. The sperm is siphoned by the female and used to fertilize her eggs internally. Obviously, if they aren't grouped fairly closely, reproduction is hard to achieve. After fertilization, the female then holds up to several thousand eggs at a time in her gills. There they can obtain oxygen and have a place to brood until they develop into glochidia—the larval stage of mussels.
It is the larval stage that is more exciting! In the late spring or early summer, the glochidia are expelled into the water where they have to fend for themselves. They need to attach themselves to the gills of a host fish within a couple days. Most freshwater mussels team up with only one type of fish.
Once the larval mussels attach to the fish, the fish body reacts to cover them with cells—an unconscious action that forms a cyst, where the glochidia remain for two to five weeks (depending on the temperature). Hitchhiking on a fish is a baby mussel's only opportunity to travel and experience more of the world, and traveling this way results in a free ride to a new home. After the mussels change from the larval form and begin to resemble adults, they break out of the cyst and fall to the bottom of the stream where they bury themselves in the bottom and begin to live an independent life. Only one in a million survive to the adult stage, but to offset these low odds, mussels lead a very long reproductive life and produce millions of eggs per year.
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Octavius has answered your question - just wanted to point to 'Animals and Nature', top left under 'Adverts' section - hth
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Question Author
Postdog - why so narky? Thought peeps were friendly and helpful on here.
Octavius, thank you very much, I can sleep easy now!
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Octavius is right, although the glochidia can float around from anything from a few weeks to several months I believe. Reproduction of the mussel is a complex business, and I can't remember a great deal more about it from what we learnt at school, than what Octavius's already put. Hope it all helps you.
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Question Author
Thank you all so much for your answers!
Bloomin' love this site!
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I could just do with a few mussels now, for a late supper.
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Settling for a KitKat and a glass of wine instead.
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Mussels are Ok if eaten whilst freshly cooked and warm, but cold ones....eurgh!!!!
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