fresh water Mussels

RupertofOZ

Ok...Kuda... what reference did you find the bit about "squirting" directly onto... and "enticing" a fish ...

From the other links given it merely says that they're released into the water and attach when the fish swim through them...

Quote:

The male flushes sperm into the water where currents can carry them downstream toward a female. The female draws in sperm to fertilize her eggs. Unless males and females are near each other, the odds for fertilization are slim.

The female broods the fertilized eggs inside her, then releases thousands of tiny larvae called glochidia. She must time the release so the tiny baby mussels can hitch a ride on a fish. She senses the presence of a fish, then shoots out glochidia. Many species release their glochidia in clumps shaped like small worms or fish food. Fish feed on them and then expel them through their gills, where the glochidia of many species settle. When a nest-building fish stirs up the river bottom, some glochidia in the river bottom may attach and hitch a ride.

When they touch the tissue of a fish, the microscopic glochidia clamp or hook themselves onto the fish's scales, fins, or gills. Some glochidia need a certain species of fish to grow on.

Quote:

When the glochidia are fully developed in early spring or fall, they are released into the water where they drift until they find a suitable fish host.

Quote:

They are released into the water by adult mussels and, when a fish passes close enough to disturb them, the glochidia attach themselves to the skin or gills of the fish by means of their barbed valves. Irritated host tissue then grows and forms a cyst over each glochidium.

EllKayBee

Question 1: is there a possibility of the mussels re-producing in an AP system?

If answer to Question 1 = Yes then go to Question 2

Question 2: would juvenile mussels get into drain pipes, return pipes etc...grow and block the pipes?

Chappo

Firstly,,, GO THE BLUES.

Dang fine question about pipe blocking etc.

I can see it now,,get invited to another AP er's house for dinner, find cut up pipe boiling in a pot,,," fresh water mussels anyone? :shock:

Axl

Quote:

Ok...Kuda... what reference did you find the bit about "squirting" directly onto... and "enticing" a fish ...

It does say in the 2nd paragraph that "She senses the presence of a fish, then shoots out glochidia."

RupertofOZ

Yep... but into the water.... don't think it infers they release directly "onto" the fish....

To my mind the spores are just expelled into the water and attach to the fish when the fish swim/make contact with them....

ELK... what happens when the get into a pipe?..... well I guess if they do that after being hosted by a fish... then theoretically they could attach and grow....

Wonder if the flow would be sufficient to prevent them attaching and move them through to growbed or tank??

Axl

I have the idea it is like the anti aircraft flak, just shoot it out in front of them as they go past and some will stick. I wonder how close the fish has to be if the mussel is "sensing it" reckon that it would be pretty close.

steve

pictures a squad of mussels with night vision and radio packs

mrgnome

Ok.. quick response here fyi

Question 1: is there a possibility of the mussels re-producing in an AP system?

Breeding for australian mussels (and most marine or freshwater species) is stimulated by a temperature increase in surrounding waters.....

If answer to Question 1 = Yes then go to Question 2

Question 2: would juvenile mussels get into drain pipes, return pipes etc...grow and block the pipes?

Any queries about the potential for this, do a quick google on Zebra Mussels freshwater species.. They were introduced to the Great Lakes system in USA via ships ballast water.. by memory, 60kg+of specimens settled on a plastic deck chair within 8 weeks. Companies pumping water from the Great Lakes system spend hundreds of millions of dollars in REMOVING them from pipelines..they manage to settle and attach themselves in extremely high flowing waters..

KudaPucat

Rupe I agree, however I got the impression, she wouldn't fire unless she senses a fish, so you need at least 1 fish to stimulate the release, then they might migrate to other tanks.
I could possible take one for the team, and leave 1 tank empty, and hope that they do breed, and see if any appear in that tank.
But that wouldn't work, because we've already agreed that juvies will be distributed through the system.

Regarding pipe blockage.
These are mobile mussels, unlike their salt water cousins. I think, that it is possible, but rare for a mussel to stay in a pipe, if things are getting a bit tight for it, however I may be wrong. I guess it depends on how much they like running water, and in the case of IBCs which way they move when running out of room, as if they move into the pipe, away from the tap bottleneck, they'll have more room for a little while, and then be trapped... :-(

RupertofOZ

The possibilty of pipe blockage is an aspect I hadn't thought of.... but in terms of migrating to other tanks......sooooo?

What would be the problem of a colony of filter feeders in any of our tanks happily filtering and cleaning our water???

KudaPucat

No problem at all, that in fact, would be ideal...it's just I believe fish are required to stimulate the release of the babies.

RupertofOZ

Figure the "babies" are more likely to make it through to the other tanks than the adults... :wink:

That's the theory I'm going with anyway...

Nocky

Zebra Mussels are a problem in the US, but as far as I can gather they don't rely on a host fish to breed, they could possibly block pipes but would be easily cleaned out, these mussels don't cling on like Zebra's and sea mussels as they have no beard, and from what I have observed with mine so far, they live more in the open or if available bury in sand, I personally would stay away from the sump anyhow, you can't visually sex them so if you end with say 10 females in a sump, they wont be able to breed anyhow, unless all that sperm gets sucked into your sump i suppose

steve

heard from Aquablue today. out of stock on the mussels!

they are waiting for the water level in the dam to drop so they can do another harvest.................hopefully by the end of the month.

so, i have;

KP: 100
F&F: 30
BK: 20
Steve: 50
TOTAL: 200

i can add more to this order now, but to make it cost effective we need total multiples of 200 units

PM me if you want some and i'll add the TENTATIVE list here in the hope that we reach another 200

Cost is $1.32 per mussel which includes GST and Freight (i think i forgot to include GST on the first estimate

RupertofOZ

Darn... was going to pick some up on the way back from Grafton...

I'll call them anyway... not coming back until the 12th....

Backyard Aquaponics A place to discuss aquaponics

fresh water Mussels

Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics