this research represents the first attempt in italy to develop a cage system for adult freshwater mussel stocking, for extensive farming, that was realized from 2003 to 2005 in nw italy. two autochthonous species of italian freshwater mussel were used: anodonta anatina and unio mancus. 5133 mussels were collected and successively stocked in floating cages in 5 different sites in a lake. this st...

Polypoid growths of the foot, mantle, and pericardium have been found repeatedly in bivalve molluscs. These growths (reviewed by Pauley, 1969; Sparks, 1972) generally are composed of essentially normal tissues and have been variously interpreted. Forty-seven (15.7 percent) of 299 freshwater mussels, Anodonta californiensis, with foot lesions were collected by Gilbert B. Pauley from the Columbia...

Background: Anzali wetland has been subjected to high levels of pollution due to contamination from several industrial sites in addition to agricultural chemicals. Mussels have been widely used for monitoring pollution in aquatic ecosystems, because they, as filter feeders, bioaccumulate pollutants. Therefore we decided to evaluate Anodonta cygnea for its application as a bio-monitor for copp...