Posted by tracy mendez on August 23, 2006

Q: We live in the northeast corner of Oklahom. Our ponds went dry this summer and we had them redug. they have slowly filled up some from rain and a garden hose. We have fish and have seen several of the mussels in this picture on your site. Where did the fish and mussels come from? we walked the dried up pond and rode 4 wheelers and bull dozers through it. Also, we just found a mussel and brought it home. we put it in pond water it was very slightly opened. We picked it up and it colsed. Will it live? What can we expect to see? I am a teacher and want to share this with my students.

Thanks

Habitat: pond/lake

State: Oklahoma

Habitat: pond/lake

A: I've talked with scientists about this very kind of event (aquatic animals showing up in ponds without any obvious means of getting there) and they're rather perplexed by this too. I could believe that the mussels may have burrowed in the mud and lived until the water returned but the fish are another story. I've heard some say that fish eggs can be transported by duck and heron feet but I've never quite believed this myself. I think it would be especially interesting, however, to know what kinds of fish are now in your pond (what species). In any case, I think this is a good "story" to share with your students.

Mussels are not easy to keep in an aquarium. They need a fair amount of oxygen and are filter feeders so difficult to feed. You could keep the mussel you have in a porous container in the pond and when you want to share with the students, retrieve it and bring to school. A few days in an aquarium (make sure there is some aeration)should work out fine and then you can return the mussel to the pond. If the mussel (clam) closed its shell when you picked it up, it was alive so no problem there. Have your students look closely at the clam as it rests in the aquarium. They may be able to see water entering and leaving the clam through its siphons as it filters the water. Best of luck and don't hesitate to write back with further questions if you have them.

John Wiessinger ( August 25, 2006)