Fresh Water Mussels

[Billhook]

We have a lovely chalk stream going through the farm and it feeds the lake and exits back into the stream.  There is a small bay where the roots of various trees and plants have formed a dense mat and it was while clearing weed around them that we came across many fresh water mussels

So are these rare in the UK and are they a good indicator of the health of the water.   Do Otters and Mink feed on them?

[Bob_z_l]

I'd say no.  There are two or three lakes round by me that have been de-silted in the last 5 years. All had plenty of shell debris in the silt. 

 

 

[GarethM]

Unpolluted is the best description, most canals have them growing in the clay and silt.

 

That being said they are also overrun with signal crayfish, so presumably it's got plenty of food for them to survive.

[Bob_z_l]

4 minutes ago, Billhook said:

We have a lovely chalk stream going through the farm and it feeds the lake and exits back into the stream.  There is a small bay where the roots of various trees and plants have formed a dense mat and it was while clearing weed around them that we came across many fresh water mussels

So are these rare in the UK and are they a good indicator of the health of the water.   Do Otters and Mink feed on them?

 

 

Just saw your comment about Otters/Mink.   Had our first potential Mink spotting early in the year. Appeared to be more interested in the area where there were Moorhen / Duck eggs or chicks. 

[sandspider]

We have a small stream, and the odd mink and small trout. And otter poo. The mink take our neighbour's chickens, but I've not seen freshwater mussels here. Will keep my eyes open.

[AJStrees]

Don't think they are rare, but believe they are a good sign of healthy water, ecology, etc.... Probably more likely that we don't see them much because they are the bottom of ponds and lakes. IMO. 

[Billhook]

Found this on the web first site comes up with three species second says six

 

Unionidae - Freshwater mussels

• Anodonta anatina. Duck Mussel.
• Anodonta cygnea. Swan Mussel.
• Unio pictorum. Painter's Mussel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How many types of freshwater mussels are there in the UK?

 

 

six species

 

There are six species of freshwater mussel that are native to the UK, two of which (depressed river mussel Pseudanodonta complanata and pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera) have experienced large declines during the 20th century (University of Cambridge, 2011).1 Feb 2018