If you have noticed a group of young men and women snorkeling the Delaware recently, you might have wondered what they were up to. These folks are working for the United States Geological Survey and are doing a study of the fresh water mussels residing in the Delaware. Bill Lellis, a Research Physiologist, is the supervisor of the crew. For those of you old enough to remember back before the age of plastics, virtually all buttons were once made from the shells of fresh water mussels. Our country contains the most diverse population of fresh water mussels in the world. The United States is home to some 300 species of this animal. Unfortunately, this group is declining in numbers due to the usual suspects, habitat loss, pollution, dams, urbanization, occasional poor agricultural techniques and habitat invasion by exotic species.

One of the more unique uses of mussel shells is their export to Japan. There the shells are broken into small bits, a piece is inserted into a pearl oyster and after several years a beautiful cultured pearl is harvested.

The most important predator of the fresh water mussel in the Delaware is the muskrat. Mr. Muskrat will capture a mussel, bring it to shore and place it on a log or flat rock to dry out. After two or three days of drying, the mussel shell opens and the muskrat dines. Lellis reports finding a number of muskrat mussel maddens along the banks of the Delaware. In fact one day, he came upon a log on the shore with two-dozen mussels, neatly laid out, side by side, sitting in the sunshine. Since none of the mussels showed any signs of beginning to open, Bill hastily scooped them up and returned them to the river. I'll bet Mr. Muskrat turned the air blue with cuss words when he returned later, only to find his dinner plate empty.

Due to their declining populations, a number of states no longer have an open season for the collection of mussels.

The life cycle of fresh water mussels is quite extraordinary. After fertilization, female mussels breed the larvae in a pouch in the gills. The larvae must attach themselves to a host fish, either on the gills or the fins. Each mussel species utilizes a specific host fish. The most abundant mussel in the Delaware, Elliptio Complanata, uses the American Eel as its host. Mussels use an amazing variety of methods to attract fish to them. Thus enabling the larvae to sink their tiny hooks into the fish. One species uses the Tessalated Darter as its host fish. This mussel produces a "lure" from its mantle that is a close replica of a male Tessalated Darter in full spawning colors. At spawning time, the male Darter becomes very territorial. Upon seeing what appears to be another male, he will attempt to nudge it away. At the moment of contact, the mussel releases its larvae with hooks waving and several will succeed in attaching themselves to the Darter. The larvae will live within a small cyst on the Darter until it develops its foot. It then drops to the bottom, and develops into a mature mussel. Another species forms a "lure" that is a close likeness to a crawfish, complete with waving claws and tail. When a smallmouth bass attempts to dine on this crawfish, he receives a mouthful of larvae, some of which will succeed in hooking him. The methods used to reproduce by some mussel species are so extraordinary they are hard to believe. To me it would seem that the workings of the hand of God are the only explanation for the mussels ability to produce these miraculous, yet necessary lures.

A mussel species using an anadramous fish as its host will usually become extinct if a dam is built on its river. Unless a fish passageway is incorporated in the dam, the host fish will no longer be available to the mussel. The extinction process may take quite a while as fresh water mussels live between 20 and 40 years.

Most mussels spawn in the late spring based on rising river temperatures and the lengthening of daylight hours. This is very similar to what causes various aquatic insects to hatch. So far, Lellis and his enthusiastic crew have turned up seven different species of mussels in the Delaware, with two types as yet unidentified. Perhaps you might think that the mussel survey is much to do about nothing. What difference would it make if every mussel in the Delaware were to die? Why care? As Aldo Leopold once wrote, you cannot destroy one thread in the web of life without effecting many of the other threads. Each one of these little animals is an amazing machine working to purify and clarify the water in the Delaware. Using its siphon to take in and then filter water, a single mussel can remove bacteria and dentritus from up to five gallons of water a day. Taken in total, that adds up to a hell of a lot of clean water. Let us not forget that the trout, the smallmouth bass and yes, we humans are dependent on clean water. The Tangler's thought for the day is, eat muskrat, save a mussel!

The willing workers group of the Upper Delaware Chapter of Trout Unlimited, all three of them, accomplished the second Litter Pluck on Route 97 from Kellams Bridge to Hankins on Sunday August 20. Where was everybody? It was kind of lonely out there.

The chapter will hold its annual picnic on Saturday, October 7 on the field adjacent to Joe McFadden's Fly Shop. There will be horse-shoe throwing contests, accuracy fly casting contests and lots of good food. For more information call 845/887-6406 or 845/887-6600. Time is growing short. Go fishing today.