Freshwater mussels are among the most imperiled species in the world, facing multiple threats to habitat degradation and population loss. In Michigan, all native freshwater mussels are protected to preserve existing populations and attempt to increase species’ ranges.
In North America there is estimated to be around 300 species of freshwater mussels, including 43 that call Michigan home. But the invasive Zebra and Quagga mussels damage our native mussel populations.
Pollution and infrastructure development also reduce freshwater mussel populations. In the early 1900s, freshwater mussels were harvested for the opalescent button industry. Today, although collection of native freshwater mussels is illegal, these populations are at an all-time low.
In Oakland County we have several bodies of water, including some within the Oakland County Parks, that support a diverse mussel population. The parks system supports native freshwater mussels by protecting water quality, managing stormwater, identifying current mussel populations and increasing available habitat. Freshwater mussels require specific habitats to thrive, and OCP protects and conserves these areas.
Oakland County Parks’ natural resources team work to protect these species is important to the environment because freshwater mussels are filter feeders, an important part of the complex ecosystems of our lakes and rivers that improve water quality. According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, a single freshwater mussel filters between 8-15 gallons of water daily. They can filter out pharmaceuticals, personal care products, herbicides, flame retardants, E. coli, avian influenza and sediment. They’re aquatic superheroes!
Mussels are among the most difficult aquatic organisms to identify because of their varying shell colors and shapes.
Mussels require fish to reproduce, utilizing the fish’s gills to transport their young, called “glochida.” Once developed, the young mussel falls off and begins to grow in its new habitat.
To get its young into a fish’s gills, the mussel uses part of its body as a fishing lure. When the fish bites the lure, the mussel squirts the fish with a face full of its larvae. The mussel escapes unharmed. Some mussels even rely on salamanders as host species.
The fish is then released to spread the young mussels throughout the ecosystem.
For information, visit OaklandCountyParks.com. Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram and X.
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