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Due to this nurturing activity, the female's shell in some species has a rear bulge. Once the glochidia
(larvae) are released, they latch onto the gills or fins of fish where they derive necessary nutrients.
When they are ready, they detach from the host fish and fall to their new location, remaining
embedded at the bottom of the stream for the first year or two. Adult mussels seldom move more than
a few meters in their lifetime, with some individuals living over 100 years of age. The diet of
freshwater mussels contains a variety of microscopic organisms such as algae and other floating
particles they filter out of the water.
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