A video: How freshwater mussels attract fish

Did you know that freshwater mussels (Unionidae) use a variety of methods to attract fish? While some passively release glochidia—the larva of a freshwater mussel that eventually develops as an external parasite on fish—in the water, others proactively lure fish by modifying their soft tissue to resemble minnows, insects and other prey. A little hard to imagine, right?

Check out this video captured underwater by Clint Robertson and our mussel research team at the wild and scenic Devils River State Natural Area of the Texas fatmucket (Lampsilis bracteata) mimicking the movement of a minnow, creating an active lure for larger fish.