Resumen de Shell shock
Shiny pigtoes, elephant ears, winged spikes, snuffboxes, monkeyfaces and heelsplitters. If the names call to mind fantastical creatures from the world of Harry Potter, think again. These are all freshwater mussels, inconspicuous filter-feeders that have kept our rivers and lakes clean for millions of years, only to now find themselves at the sharp end of a little-known ecological crisis. Freshwater mussels are part of the mollusc family, a large group of invertebrates that includes fellow bivalves like oysters and clams as well as octopuses, squid, slugs and snails. At first blush, theirs is a simple lifestyle. They anchor themselves in the sediment at the bottom of lakes, streams and rivers, where they make a living by filtering water for algae and other microscopic morsels. But they do have a few tricks up their shells. Even mussels have their limits, though. We have spent the last 300 years polluting and damming our rivers, and the results for freshwater mussels have been catastrophic
