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All material is my personal opinion, and not that of any other organization. Copyright 2001. Permission is granted for individual teacher use. All rights reserved. |
  California Musselsby Mariana They grow up to 20 cm long. At the tip they have oval lines of white, blue and black. They are exposed on rocks where waves break. They live in the mid to high tide zone from Alaska to Mexico. The California mussels were opening their shells. Josh adds: The California Mussel can grow up to 20 cm long. They are related to clams, oysters and scallops. Most of the mussels attach themselves to rocks. How do mussels come to be? They release eggs and sperm into open water. Who are their enemies? They are seastars and ... PEOPLE! If you like to eat mussels: Beware! From late May through October mussels feed on microorganisms that make them poisonous to people that eat them.
The photo on the right shows a bed of mussels on the higher rocks in the center. They are exposed at low tide but are covered most of the day. This is in the mid-tide zone.
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