Mussels

Mussels are marine animals with soft bodies that live inside hard, black shells. You may encounter them clinging to rocks or buried in sand while walking along the shore. Mussels act like nature’s small filters, helping to keep seawater clean.

Where Do They Live?

Mussels typically live in colonies on rocky coastal areas, on the pilings of piers, and even on the undersides of ships. They attach tightly between rocks, to each other, and sometimes beneath the sand. The structure that enables mussels to adhere to surfaces consists of thread-like extensions called byssus. They use these threads to anchor themselves in place.

What Do They Eat?

The feeding behavior of mussels is quite remarkable. Since mussels lack heads and legs, they cannot search for food. Instead, they draw seawater into their bodies like a vacuum cleaner. They filter out microscopic organisms and small food particles carried by the water. A single mussel can filter 10 to 15 liters of water per hour.

Body Characteristics

The most noticeable feature of mussels is their hard outer shells. These two shells are connected and close tightly when the mussel senses danger, providing protection. If a mussel’s shells are open, it may indicate that the animal is dead. The shells are formed from calcium carbonate and proteins secreted by the mussel’s body.