The Lampsilis Mussel and Bass Have a Unique Relationship
by Owen Borville
July 1, 2020
Biology
The lampsilis mussel and the smallmouth bass have a unique relationship. The lampsilis mussel lives in American rivers and streams. The lampsilis mussel will squirt or shoot its baby parasitic larvae into the mouth or gills of a bass. How does it do this? The bass approaches the mussel, who has a feature on its body that looks like a smaller fish that it uses as a lure. The lure is so deceptive that it even moves like a fish. As the bass approaches to attempt to eat the fake fish lure and opens its mouth, the lampsilis mussel squirts its young larvae (or glochidia) into the mouth of the bass and the larvae sit on the gills of the bass, its fins, and skin. The larvae will stay in the bass fish and grow for a time and then leave the bass later. The larvae have a better chance of success this way than if they were squirted into the water. The larvae can extract nutrients that they need from the bass. Between a few weeks to a few months, the larvae grow and hop off the bass onto the surface of the riverbed below.
This symbiotic relationship is difficult to explain using evolutionist principles. How does the lampsilis mussel know how to identify when a bass approaches. What about the fake fish feature on the mussel that attracts the bass and how did that evolve? This is an unusual symbiotic relationship that must have occurred correctly the first time involving creatures that were designed by an Intelligent Designer.
by Owen Borville
July 1, 2020
Biology
The lampsilis mussel and the smallmouth bass have a unique relationship. The lampsilis mussel lives in American rivers and streams. The lampsilis mussel will squirt or shoot its baby parasitic larvae into the mouth or gills of a bass. How does it do this? The bass approaches the mussel, who has a feature on its body that looks like a smaller fish that it uses as a lure. The lure is so deceptive that it even moves like a fish. As the bass approaches to attempt to eat the fake fish lure and opens its mouth, the lampsilis mussel squirts its young larvae (or glochidia) into the mouth of the bass and the larvae sit on the gills of the bass, its fins, and skin. The larvae will stay in the bass fish and grow for a time and then leave the bass later. The larvae have a better chance of success this way than if they were squirted into the water. The larvae can extract nutrients that they need from the bass. Between a few weeks to a few months, the larvae grow and hop off the bass onto the surface of the riverbed below.
This symbiotic relationship is difficult to explain using evolutionist principles. How does the lampsilis mussel know how to identify when a bass approaches. What about the fake fish feature on the mussel that attracts the bass and how did that evolve? This is an unusual symbiotic relationship that must have occurred correctly the first time involving creatures that were designed by an Intelligent Designer.
