Howells Freshwater Mussels App

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY - I• Sperm is released, taken in by females, and eggs (fertile and unfertilized)and developing larvae are held in pouches (marsupia) on the gills.• Larval mussels (glochidia) are parasites on fishes.– Released glochidia have only hours to find an appropriate host, attach in theproper location (gills, fins), or die.– When they transform to the juvenile stage and drop from the host, they mustland on an appropriate substrate or die.HOST FISHHookless glochidiaattach to gillsHooked glochidiaattach to finsGlochidiareleasedSpermtransferredTransformedjuveniles dropto substrateSpermtransferredGlochidiareleasedFEMALE MALE MALE FEMALE