Living in the Baltic Sea

Average size
3 cm/ 0,05 kg
Age
Up to about 5 years old.
Record size & age
Not available

Habitat
Seashore areas down to 30 meters depth attached to rocks and other hard substrates preferably in water currents. They generally live in clusters. Mussels frequently attach themselves to man made constructions such as chains, wind turbines and other hard substrates. Predators include birds, fish and even the sea otter.
Food
They feed on free flowing plankton and bacteria by filtering water through their organism, up to 3 liters of water an hour. In one year, all of the Baltic Sea Blue Mussels filter water masses equivalent to all the water in this Sea.

Spawning
Age: 1 year old
Season: Spring - Fall
Number of eggs: Millions

Fertilization occurs externally and reproduction peaks in Spring and Summer. A full-grown female produces millions of eggs. The Blue Mussels have two stages in their life; one free floating larvae and one attached. At the last larvae stage they attach themselves to a to some hard substrate and continue to develop to an adult Blue Mussel.

Human impact and Status
Blue Mussels from the Baltic Sea are not harvested because they stay relatively small in size due to the cold waters with a lower salt level than other seas. Mussels are, however, used increasingly for cleaning polluted water due to their excellent filtering capacity. This is not threatened species, but some of its usual habitats are potentially threatened. CLOSE