CAM 7 Science - Battle Ground Public Schools - Battle Ground, WA

PNW Freshwater Mussels
mussels & sculpin
East Fork of Lewis River
Western pearlshell mussel
East Fork of Lewis River
 

The following questions are based on facts found in the booklet, Freshwater Mussels of the Pacific Northwest.
Available on the web at: http://www.fws.gov/columbiariver/musselwg.htm (Note: page numbers below correspond with the original booklet, for which we have hard copies in the classroom -- not Version 2 located at the link above)

Questions in .pdf format: Freshwater Mussles Worksheet

Freshwater Mussels
Read Freshwater Mussels of the Pacific Northwest pages 1 - 14, 34 - 37, 41 - 42. Complete the following information using information from the booklet. If information can’t be found, write “Not Available” and we’ll discuss it later. [There’s only a couple items not mentioned in the booklet.]

Classification
Mussels belong to which animal group?

Body Structure
Describe its shape?

What type of support structure does it have? [hint: external]

What body structures are present? (p. 3)

Nervous System
Does the mussel have a brain? [not available in booklet]
Give some examples of how it senses and responds to its environment?

Respiration
How does it breathe?

Circulation (heart & blood flow)
How is food & oxygen distributed through the body? [not available in booklet]
How are wastes removed?

Feeding
How does it feed?

What does it eat?

Habitat
Where does it live? [be specific about type of habitats]

Movement
How is the organism able to move as an adult?

How do young mussels get carried upstream?

Life Cycle
What are the four stages of the mussel’s life cycle?

How long do they live? Do all species have the same life span?

Defenses
What are some of its enemies?

How is the mussel able to protect itself?

More info please
List two other mussel facts not previously mentioned:
1.

2.

Introduced Bivalves (pp 41 - 42)
What advantage does the Asian Clam have over native mussels?

Where do Zebra Mussels come from originally?

Why are Zebra Mussels described as “one of the most destructive nonnative aquatic species ever to reach the North American continent”?

mussels_q.cwk

return to CAM 7 Science webpage

Created by M. Clapp
CAM 7/8 Science - BGSD
updated: 11/15/10