Please leave comments and suggestions in the guest book. However, the destruction of these habitats by dams, channelization, erosion and pollution has left many of these amazing molluscs on the brink of extinction. Presently 69 unionoids are on the U.S. endangered species list. Mussels don't have a glamorous public image like whales or tigers, yet the more we learn more about them the more remarkable they seem. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of unionoids is their symbiosis with fish.
Female mussels release tiny larvae called glochidia.
The glochidia must attach to the gills or fins of particular species of fish, where they encyst for several days or weeks and metamorphose into juvenile mussels. Mussels have evolved incredible devices to lure fishes and ensure that the glochidia become attached. The photos and videos displayed on the following pages illustrate some of these remarkable adaptations. Click on the photos to link to the picture pages. This work was supported in part by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service , the Missouri Department of Conservation , the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Department , and Southwest Missouri State University .