Why Are Mussels Important?

Mussels serve important roles in freshwater aquatic systems (Cummings 2003). Mussels:

• Filter the water; a one quarter pound mussel reportedly can filter more than 3.5 gallons of water a day;
• Stabilize the streambed;
• Serve as food for fish otters, muskrats, waterfowl and other animals; and
• Serve as indicators of the health of fish populations because their larval state is dependent upon a host fish species.

Because mussels are largely stationary, they can also serve as indicators of the presence of pollutants. They have been referred to as similar to “canaries in the coal mine” or “in-place biological monitoring stations”. They cannot rapidly move to evade pollutants and so are more susceptible to degradation and even die-offs. As a result, their presence or absence often reflects the status of other less visible aquatic plants or animals.