Parasites in mussel (IMAGE)

Aarhus University

Parasites in mussel

Caption

Parasites leave their mark. This close-up shows blue mussel tissue under a microscope. The small pale circles are cysts formed by parasites. Parasite larvae can enter a mussel in the same stream of water it uses to filter food from the sea. This creates a dilemma: the more actively the mussel filters, the greater the potential risk of letting unwanted guests in.

Credit

Pernille Kibak

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