Thick shelled river mussel
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| iThick shelled river mussel | ||||||||||||||
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| Unio crassus Maton & Rackett, 1807 |
The thick shelled river mussel, Unio crassus, is a mussel of the family Unionidae.
As part of newly discovered reproductive behaviour, this mollusc crawls up to the edge of the water, exposing its excurrent aperture, and then lets loose a stream of water. The fountain of water often contains glochidia, and it is suggested that this spurting behavior may facilitate dispersal of mussel larvae.
[edit] Decline
The thick shelled river mussel declined in the beginning of the 20th century due to a deteriorating water quality. The species declined everywhere in Europe. In Germany this bivalve has disappeared from 90% of its former range. In the Netherlands it has not been seen alive after 1968 and is most likely extinct in that country.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality - Nature Law - Bataafse stroommossel (Unio crassus). Accessed at the ministries website
