How did Mussels get in my pond?

[schizm]

I've been cleaning the bottom of my pond (by hand) and I came up with a couple of empty halfs to what looked like mussel shells. Today I found one that looks alive and closed. Where did these come from? And are they a problem to be in the goldfish pond?

 

[mrsclem]

Is it a mussel or snail? Snails show up in ponds all the time. They come in on plants or on birds. They cause not harm but can multiply fast.

 

[schizm]

They are about an inch long

 

[mrsclem]

I'm guessing this is what you are seeing. If its a spiral shell, its a snail.

 

[schizm]

Is it a mussel or snail? Snails show up in ponds all the time. They come in on plants or on birds. They cause not harm but can multiply fast.

It's a mussel

 

[schizm]

View attachment 124691
I'm guessing this is what you are seeing. If its a spiral shell, its a snail.

Nope. I know what nails are. These are two half shells closed up. Mussel. I'll have to take a better photo and post it.

 

[j.w]

Well mussel's come from eggs so I suppose any creature that has visited a mussel area could have come to your pond w/eggs on their bods or any fish water that you got your fish from. Freshwater mussel's can help filter your pond water.

 

[schizm]

Nope. I know what nails are. These are two half shells closed up. Mussel. I'll have to take a better photo and post it.

 

[schizm]

There are live ones in the pond too

 

[schizm]

 

[Nevermore44]

There are freshwater mussels. Did you bring in plants from a nursery this year or last ?

 

[Jhn]

What fish do you have in the pond? Did you bring fish into the pond from the wild or from other ponds with mussels in them?

I ask because in order to survive mussels have a parasitic relationship with fish, in which their larvae are injected into the fish and carried around until they are large enough to survive on their own.

 

[GBBUDD]

All or almost all sea birds will grab anything alive they can get there beaks on . anyone who lives near the coast will tell you that they see sea gulls especial grabbing shell fish flying up above asphalt a car concrete or what ever the bird thinks that when they drop the shellfish it will crack open and give them a tasty morsel . my guess they were aiming for the rocks around your pond and missed and it ended up in the water.. or as planton they hitched a ride on a duck and they ended up in your pond. it's no surprise to find stuff like that to me. one one job in milford ct we had a 1 pound blue fish baby drop from the sky right between myself and another worker. It was comical to see a flying blue fish yuck yuck.AN OSPREY HAD CAUGHT IT AND DROPPED IT RIGHT ABOVE US

 

[Lisak1]

We had a dead bass in our pond one time. Some friends were visiting and we were showing off the pond and the husband says "ohhhhhh... look! One of your fish is dead!" Sure enough - it was a dead fish, but it wasn't ours! We figured a bird had picked it up in one of the ponds surrounding our house and "lost his lunch" on his way back to the office!

 

[schizm]

A couple of better photos of the live mussels in my pond. I'm still not sure how they got in there, but I am thrilled to have such a cool little ecosystem going on.