Mussel mamas lure host fish

Photo of freshwater mussel mimicking a minnow to lure bass into coming close enough for baby mussels to attach to the fish as a host.
Photo By/Credit
Brittany Barker-Jones/USFWS
Date Shot/Created
05/03/2023
Media Usage Rights/License
Public Domain
Image
Mussel mamas that require bass as a host fish have modified shell tissue that moves it in a way that mimics a minnow, which bass love. Once the bass is lured in close and takes a bite, the mussel’s marsupia, or “baby pocket,” bursts. The fish then acts just like a ride share, giving the babies now attached to its gills a ride upstream.
Facility
Alabama Ecological Services Field Office