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--Boundary_(ID_PJ0YHtsG+bFY5CCJ1X9BDQ) Content-type: text/plain; CHARSET=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT A bit more thought would have made my answer below much more positive. I used to collect living invertebrates from the intertidal flats and bring them into my lab for a field biology class I taught at Acadia Univ. Biology. I put the living critters in enamel pans in salt water and kept them alive like that in a regular refrigerator in the lab, and they would stay alive and apparently reasonably healthy for considerable periods. Well, the blue mussels very quickly secreted new byssus threads and attached to the enamel surface of the pans, and I couldn't believe how nearly impossible it was to clean those pans afternward, since the threads were unbelievably tough. No sort of scrubbing device would remove the stuck tips of those threads. Cheers from Jim in Wolfville Begin forwarded message: > From: bckcdb@istar.ca > Date: October 9, 2011 9:24:15 AM ADT > To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> > Subject: Re: [NatureNS] a question re Blue Mussel attachment ? > Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > > Quoting "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>: > >> I think the mussel can re-secrete those strong threads and re- >> attach to substrates, but I am forwarding to people who probably >> are better able to answer the question. > > * yes they can secrete new bysuss threads, and can move along > slowly across the substrate by spinning new threads and breaking > off old ones. > > fred schueler. > ====================================================== > >> >> Begin forwarded message: >> >>> From: Dusan Soudek <soudekd@ns.sympatico.ca> >>> Date: October 8, 2011 7:55:06 PM ADT >>> To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> >>> Subject: [NatureNS] a question re Blue Mussel attachment ? >>> Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca >>> >>> A question for the invertebrate zoologists out there: Can a >>> Blue Mussel (Mytilus edulis) re-attach itself to a substrate >>> such as a rock or a piling if it had been separated from it? Its >>> adhesion threads are quite strong, but can the animal repair or >>> re-form new ones if the old ones are broken? >>> Dusan Soudek >> >> > > > --Boundary_(ID_PJ0YHtsG+bFY5CCJ1X9BDQ) Content-type: text/html; CHARSET=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "> A bit more thought would have made my answer below much more positive. = I used to collect living invertebrates from the intertidal flats = and bring them into my lab for a field biology class I taught at Acadia = Univ. Biology. I put the living critters in enamel pans in salt = water and kept them alive like that in a regular refrigerator in the = lab, and they would stay alive and apparently reasonably healthy for = considerable periods. Well, the blue mussels very quickly secreted = new byssus threads and attached to the enamel surface of the pans, and I = couldn't believe how nearly impossible it was to clean those pans = afternward, since the threads were unbelievably tough. No sort of = scrubbing device would remove the stuck tips of those threads. = Cheers from Jim in Wolfville<br><div><br><div>Begin forwarded = message:</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>From: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><a = href=3D"mailto:bckcdb@istar.ca">bckcdb@istar.ca</a></font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Date: = </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Helvetica">October 9, 2011 9:24:15 AM ADT</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>To: </b></font><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">NatureNS = <<a = href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a>></f= ont></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>Subject: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>Re: [NatureNS] a question re Blue = Mussel attachment ?</b></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Reply-To: </b></font><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><a = href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a></font>= </div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: = 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div> <div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; ">Quoting "James W. Wolford" <<a = href=3D"mailto:jimwolford@eastlink.ca">jimwolford@eastlink.ca</a>>:</di= v><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div> <blockquote = type=3D"cite"><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">I think the mussel can = re-secrete those strong threads and re-attach<span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span>to substrates, but I am = forwarding to people who probably are better<span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span>able to answer the = question.</div> </blockquote><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: = 14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0p