The phylum Mollusca includes approximately 90000 species with a wide array of body size, shapes and forms. Freshwater mussels are aquatic mollusks with edible soft tissues and hard, calcareous shells.
Freshwater mussels are a conspicuous and important element of aquatic ecosystems in much of North America and throughout the world. Mussels are bivalve mollusks and are built much like marine bivalves.
Mussels are less often consumed raw but occasionally are eaten raw in some regions. In the United States, many state regulatory agencies require that consumer health risk notices be present on restaurant menus and consumption risk warning signs be prominently displayed at retail outlets.
Freshwater mussels
