How do Mussels reprodoce?

Cloudy1 | 21:34 Tue 08th Jul 2008 | How it Works

11 Answers

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

Moths

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Postdog

I don't know, but I am surprised you couldn't see a nature option when it is staring you in the face.....

Octavius

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.

Whickerman

Octavius has answered your question - just wanted to point to 'Animals and Nature', top left under 'Adverts' section - hth

Cloudy1

Question Author

Postdog - why so narky? Thought peeps were friendly and helpful on here.

Octavius, thank you very much, I can sleep easy now!

Ice.Maiden

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.

Cloudy1

Question Author

Thank you all so much for your answers!

Bloomin' love this site!