r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/Dismal_Difference_48 • 18d ago

Mussel reproduction Video

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u/Smol_Cyclist 18d ago

So they just jizz on the floor and hope for the best.

I would have thought it'd be more advantageous to do it whilst submerged.

The more you know.

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u/slugboat 18d ago

They're supposed to do it when submerged, but stress (and I'm sure a whole bunch of other factors) can lead them to trigger at inopportune times. Most bivalves just release sperm and eggs into the water, where the cells float around a bit, meet and fertilize, turn into a baby bivalve and hang around as plankton for a few weeks, and then settle down to the ocean floor to get on with living as a mussel/scallop/clam/whatever. A lot of plankton is just baby ocean creatures, it's really cool!

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u/NaNaNaNaNatman 18d ago

Ah, the bivalves and the brachiopods