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Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway Canoes pulled up at campsite after finishing paddling for the day
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Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway
Mollusks
A yellowish-brown mussel, buried part way in the river bottom, has a white fleshy part sticking out from the shell

NPS, Multi-agency zebra mussel dive team

A mussel extrudes a lure for fish to attract them them to her.

Native Freshwater Mussels

The St. Croix has is known for having a mostly intact mussel population. Meaning, the species that lived here 100 years ago are still the species living here today. This includes 40 species of mussels, two of which are on the endangered species list. To see a list of the mussel species in the St. Croix, print a mussel fact sheet, or to learn more... about mussels

 
Female mussels need to find a fish to carry their glochidia, (baby mussels) for a few weeks. Then the young can survive on their own and will drop to the river bottom. Different mussel species use different methods to attract the fish and some are very picky as to what kind of fish they want to attract. Watch some videos of different mussels trying to attract a fish.  
 

Mussel Displaying

Mussel Displaying
Female black sand shell mussel tries to attract a fish to host her glochidia (baby mussels) until they can live on their own.

Credit / Author: USFWS
Date Created: 2009-12-23

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Fat Pocketbook Displaying

Fat Pocketbook Displaying
A fat pocketbook mussel tries to attract a host fish (the freshwater drum) to carry the young larvae until they are old enough to drop off and live on their own. While the fat pocketbook does not live in the St. Croix it is very similar to the plain pocketbook which is common here.

Credit / Author: USFWS
Date Created: 2004-07-20

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Pimpleback mussel

Pimpleback mussel
The pimpleback mussel shown here is excreting her young, thinking that the finger is a host fish come to carry her young.

Credit / Author: USFWS
Date Created: 2004-07-20

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A mussel or clam on the sand. It is dark and bumpy.

Did You Know?
Winged maple leaf mussels were thought to be extinct until some were rediscovered in the St. Croix River in 1987. Today scientists are helping to raise young mussels and re-introducing them into their former range including St. Croix National Scenic Riverway to help prevent future extinction.
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Last Updated: January 06, 2012 at 10:52 MST