The Atlantic ribbed mussell (Modiolus demissus) is a salt marsh mussell that lives half buried in the muck of tidal banks and flats. The mussels attach themselves with tough byssus threads to the marsh grass or other solid objects in the mud. These threads are secreted by a gland in their foot. When covered by the tide, mussels open slightly, and cilia, small hairs on the gills, draw in water and the food in it, usually algae, to the mouth. Shells that were washed up on the higher banks caught my eye due to the "mother of pearl" look inside many of them. It was a challenge to capture these colors and the ribbed outer texture. |
