What is the difference between a mollusk, a bivalve, a clam, a mussel and a naiade?
A mollusk includes everything in the phylum Mollusca, from slugs to squid to clams. A bivalve, mussel, and clam are basically the same thing–mollusks with two valves. Naiades are freshwater mussels in the family Unionidae. Q: Do people eat freshwater mussels? A: Not today. Native Americans not only ate them, but used them for tempering pottery and making utensils, tools, and jewelry. Q. Why do zebra mussels harm the native mussels? A. Zebra mussels attach to the native clams by use of byssal threads. Some people have counted thousands of zebra mussels on one clam! All this weight makes it very difficult for the native clams to move. The zebra mussels filter the water around the native clams, which may also starve the native clams. Q. I’ve heard that many freshwater mussels are in trouble. Is this true? A: Yes. North America has the most diverse fauna of unionid clams in the world. Unfortunately, they are now one of the most imperiled groups of animals. Of the almost 300 species recogn
