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Both marine and freshwater mussels are filter feeders; they feed on plankton and other microscopic animals which are free-floating in seawater. A mussel draws water in through its incurrent siphon and an oyster for example can filter up to 1.3 gallon of water per hour.
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In marine mussels, fertilization occurs outside the body, with a larval stage that drifts for three weeks to six months, before settling on a hard surface as a young mussel. There, it is capable of moving slowly by means of attaching and detaching byssal threads to attain a better life position.
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