Transcription of Native Freshwater Mussels - USDA
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Native Freshwater Mussels - USDA
Native Freshwater MusselsJanuary 2007 Fish and Wildlife Habitat Management Leaflet Number 46 Virginia Department of Game and Inland FisheriesAlthough Freshwater Mussels are found throughout much of the world, they reach their greatest diversity in North America.>80 species71 80 species61 70 species51 60 species41 50 species31 40 species21 30 species11 20 species1 10 speciesIntroductionFreshwater Mussels belong to the phylum Mollusca, the second most diverse group of animals in the world in terms of number of described species. The phy-lum consists of approximately 100,000 Freshwater , marine, and terrestrial species and includes Mussels , snails, octopi, squid, as well as several other less fa-miliar groups. Although Freshwater Mussels are dis-tributed throughout the world, they reach their great-est diversity in North America, east of the Mississippi River.
As natural filter feeders, freshwater mussels strain out suspended particles and pollutants from the water column and help improve water quality. Some mus-sels can filter up to 10 gallons of water per day, which helps to improve water quality for other animals, in-cluding humans. Mussels are commonly used as indicators or biologi-
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