It could be an understatement to say that mussels and different mollusks normally aren’t considered being significantly energetic. Not too long ago, nonetheless, scientists have documented a water-squirting habits in only one species, which is seemingly utilizing the motion to present its larvae a preventing probability.
For the examine, a College of Cambridge workforce led by Prof. David Aldridge noticed freshwater Unio crassus mussels in Poland’s Biała Tarnowska River within the springtime. There have been anecdotal stories of the mussels repeatedly squirting water from the banks of the river, however the phenomenon had by no means been scientifically documented – or understood.
The scientists did certainly witness feminine mussels shifting to the river’s edge, elevating their again ends out of the water, then squirting water as much as 1 meter (3.3 ft) out into the river. They might achieve this for 3 to 6 hours at a time.
College of Cambridge
Like different freshwater mussels, Unio crassus launch their larvae into the water, the place they latch onto the gills of passing fish. There, the larvae grow to be juvenile mussels, at which level they drop off and decide on the riverbed.
In lots of instances, the larvae will solely survive on sure sorts of fish … and that is significantly true of Unio crassus larvae.
With this problem to survival in thoughts, the scientists surmised that the water-squirting habits is meant to draw suitable fish – reminiscent of minnows and chub – and to ship the larvae to them. Positive sufficient, when water-squirts collected from a number of mussels had been analyzed, they had been all discovered to include viable mussel larvae.
“Who’d have thought {that a} mussel, that does not actually have a head or a mind, is aware of to maneuver to the river margin and squirt jets of water again into the river throughout springtime?” stated Aldridge. “It’s wonderful.”
The distinctive habits may be at the very least a part of the rationale why Unio crassus is an endangered species. By shifting to the river’s edge, feminine mussels are extra susceptible to terrestrial predators reminiscent of mink, plus they could be stymied by flooding or destruction of the shoreline.
You’ll be able to see one of many mussels in water-and-larvae-squirting motion, within the following video. The analysis is described in a paper that was lately revealed within the journal Ecology.
Spurting Mussel Film
Supply: College of Cambridge