Watch Mussels & Other Bivalves

Live-action footage introduces typical bivalve mollusks including mussels, oysters, clams, cockles, fresh water mussels, and pearl oysters. There are over 12,000 species in the world, each distinguished by a shell with two halves (valves) and siphons through which the animal filters its food. Close-up videography shows the byssus that anchors a mussel to a rock and the mussel's characteristic behavior underwater, where it breathes by absorbing dissolved oxygen and feeds on suspended particles.