Life History
Unionidae burrow into the substrate, with their posterior margins exposed. They pump water through the incurrent aperture, obtaining oxygen and food.
Unionoids remove phytoplankton and zooplankton, as well as suspended bacteria, fungal spores, and dissolved organic matter. Despite extensive laboratory studies, it remains uncertain as to which of these filtrates unionoids actually process. In high densities, they have the ability to influence water clarity but filtration rates are dependent on water temperature, current velocity, and particle size and concentration. In addition, gill morphology can determine particle size filtered, as well as the rate.
Read more about this topic: Unionidae
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