Hi all,
a very distressing sight today at Waikanae beach, especially near the northern small estuary. Huge numbers of horse mussels (Atrina zelandica), (or fan mussels in UK) along the most recent high-tide strand line. Most dead but many still alive and gaping - beautiful animals in anguish. I have never seen such an extreme phenomenon and am trying to think of a reason - flushed out of the estuary by floods, cold shock, or a toxic pollution event?
Cheers,
GrahamB
P.S. Also possible is a haplosporidium infection:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 1118303641
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10. ... 21.1910344
Mass mortality horse mussels Waikanae
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- Posts: 167
- Joined: Wed Jun 22, 2011 9:29 am
- Location: Waikanae, Kapiti Coast