Mytilus is a kind of mollusk, called mussel shell, clam and so on. In some places, they live at the bottom of freshwater lakes, ponds, rivers, etc. , half buried in the sand. Their meat can be eaten, and it can also be used as bait for fish and poultry, and feed for poultry and livestock. In some areas, it is used for freshwater pearl culture. Let's look at mussels for pearls!

Are there any pearls in the mussels?

There are pearls in mussels, but not every mussel has pearls, and it is not easy for wild mussels to grow pearls. The formation of pearls requires insects or small grains of sand from outside to enter mussels. After a long time, mussels secrete nacre and wrap worms or small grains of sand for many years to form pearls. Natural pearls are generally the best, and cultured pearls are cheaper.

How are pearls formed?

1. External cause: The mantle of mussel is stimulated by the invasion of foreign bodies (sand and parasites). The epidermal cells in the stimulation area take foreign bodies as the core, the nacre cells secrete nacre, and the core is wrapped layer by layer to form pearls. This kind of pearl is called "nucleated pearl".

2. Internal cause: Under pathological stimulation, part of the outer skin of the mantle of mussel is separated after cell division, wrapped by organic substances secreted by itself, and gradually falls into the connective tissue of the mantle, forming pearl sacs and pearls, which are called "seedless pearls".

What kinds of mussels are there?

1. Crested Oenanthe: Crested Oenanthe, also known as Crested Oenanthe, Eriocheir sinensis, etc. , a kind of freshwater benthic shellfish, belongs to Oenanthes, and is common in coastal areas of China. It generally inhabits the mud bottom or sediment bottom of lakes, rivers, ditches and ponds in fresh water, slow flow and still water areas.

2. Hyriopsis cumingii: Hyriopsis cumingii, also known as mussel, pearl mussel, freshwater pearl mussel and triangle mussel, is widely distributed in Hunan, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi and other provinces, especially Dongting Lake and medium-sized lakes in China.

3. toothless mussels with back horns: toothless mussels with back horns are also called vegetable mussels, river mussels and round mussels. The meat of rivers and lakes distributed all over China is edible. It is also suitable as bait for fish and poultry and feed for poultry and livestock. In some areas, it is used as freshwater pearl mussel.

4. Alegre mussels: Alegre mussels, also known as butterflies, are distributed in Hebei, Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong and Guangxi, especially in large and medium-sized lakes and rivers in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

5. Pinctada Domestica: The shell of Pinctada Domestica is of medium size, thin but hard, rectangular in shape, more than twice the height, asymmetrical on both sides, short and round at the front, but not elongated, slightly narrow and flat at the end, and dark brown or black on the shell surface.

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