Goldfish and Freshwater Mussels

[dalomesser]

Hi im dale.

I was woundering if anyone could tell me where i could buy freshwater mussels. If u could it would be great.

If you want to see information on my breeding project i have created a little web page at the following address:

Messers Natural World |

Thanks from Dale

[Dogghound]

If you mean Swan mussels, i got some from a local lake thats totally infested with them! Im not to sure who commercially breeds them!

[smartie]

I bought some a few years ago at a garden centre that had a specialist water plant and fish section. They (or their descendants) may still be in the pond - I have no way of knowing.

[Dai D]

Sorry to dampen your enthusiasm, I too remember freshwater mussels being sold in pet shops, aquatic centres and even street pet markets near Brick Lane in East London. The native species are now all strictly protected under UK and European law and cannot be harmed, traded or even possessed without a license.
Although they may be locally still plentiful, in general populations have declined enomously over the past fifty years and many are critically endangered. Please treasure those remaining wild populations!
Dai.

[Ukwildlifeo]

Originally Posted by Dai D

The native species are now all strictly protected under UK and European law and cannot be harmed, traded or even possessed without a license.

Dai.

Really!? A fisherman at my local park throws a rake head on a rope into the water of an isolated lake and drags the mussels along the lake bed towards him, before spliting them opena nd extracting the body, presumably for bait. I've always thought it can't be particularly good for the aquatic plants and animals that depend on them, but is it possible the Mussels are protected?

[Cowgirl]

I was told that when mussels reproduce the young whatever they're called attach themselves to fish and create cysts. Not in my pond they won't !