Don't Move a Mussel!

  Along the marsh edge and even deep into the Bayou, mussels can be seen embedded in the mud.  They are firmly planted by a thing called a byssal thread in between the roots of the cord grass.  These mussels are sort of an oblong triangle shaped and have a brown outer shell.  The inside is pearly white that is tinged with purples and blues.  While the outer layer of  the shell is ribbed and quite rough, the inner is silky smooth!  These, my friends, are known as Ribbed Mussels.

  While other folks do some fine-dining on steamed Blue Mussels, the Ribbed Mussels of the Bayou are reserved for the otters and other critters.  Dwelling in brackish water leaves the mussels filled with bacteria that makes them unsuitable for people to eat.  I suppose if it ever came down to me starving or eating a Ribbed Mussel, I would give them a try.  (They would just have to be well-cooked for me!)  

  Even though the Ribbed Mussels are deemed inedible, they do play an important part in the health of the Bayou. Since they establish themselves in large clumps within the roots of the marsh grass, they help prevent it from erosion.  The mussels excrete nutrients that are absorbed by the grasses and the mussels, themselves, are also a food source for many of the critters that reside or visit the salt marsh.  The fact that I found so many empty shells proves that the otters have been busy and the number of mussel clumps shows the marsh must be healthy.  I hope the mussels can always be found in the Bayou.  It is satisfying to know that things are well with the life there.