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Mussel (/ ˈmʌsəl /) is the common name used for members of several families of bivalve molluscs, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval. The word "mussel" is frequently used to mean ...
Zebra mussels and the closely related and ecologically similar quagga mussels are filter-feeding organisms; they remove particles from the water column. Zebra mussels process up to 1 litre (0.26 US gal; 34 US fl oz) of water per day, per mussel. [9] Some particles are consumed as food, and feces are deposited on the lake floor.
Oysters, mussels, clams, scallops and other bivalve species are grown with food materials that occur naturally in their culture environment in the sea and lagoons. [98] One-third of the world's farmed food fish harvested in 2010 was achieved without the use of feed, through the production of bivalves and filter-feeding carps. [98]
Filter feeders can play an important role in condensing biomass and removing excess nutrients (such as nitrogen and phosphate) from the local waterbody, and are therefore considered water-cleaning ecosystem engineers. They are also important in bioaccumulation and, as a result, as indicator organisms. Filter feeders can be sessile, planktonic ...
They feed on phytoplankton, bacteria, and non flagellates to gain nutrients. [13] The speed at which ribbed mussels feed changes with temperature which is partially due to the availability of their food, and they feed more when their environment is warmer. Location also plays a role in filtration rates due to food quality and availability. [14]
Intertidal ecology is the study of intertidal ecosystems, where organisms live between the low and high tide lines. At low tide, the intertidal is exposed whereas at high tide, the intertidal is underwater. Intertidal ecologists therefore study the interactions between intertidal organisms and their environment, as well as between different ...
The black mussel is a filter feeder that eats floating scraps of algae and phytoplankton. It is threatened by the invasion of the fast-growing and hardy Mediterranean mussel, which outcompetes it for space. Particulate organic matter is the major food source of many filter-feeding bivalves including C. meridionalis.
In addition, most mussels are filter feeders and filter water through their bodies to feed. This filtration makes them prime targets for picking up contaminants in the water. [3] Mussels can provide information on if a system is recovering and if a remediation or cleanup effort is effective.