Dinner anyone? ( Another tidepool criter )

@cperry2 (5608)
Newport, Oregon
September 30, 2020 10:16pm CST
One of the more plentiful creatures in our tidepools are mussels. The ones in the photos are California mussels, but they are common from the Baja peninsula all the way northward to Alaska. They are so abundant that collection for people to eat is allowed in most places. (See info below on Marine Reserve for exceptions) There is a limit of 30 per day a person can take from the rocks here in Oregon, so bring your bucket. These creatures' shells can grow to about five inches long and attach themselves to the rocks with byssal threads that have a tensile strength that would surprise most people. Mussels provide an all you can eat buffet for ocher sea stars, (I count six sea ocher stars in this photo.) But they also provide a protected habitat for very small creatures who live on the rocks beneath the nearly impenetrable shield of shells. Mussels live just below the surface of the average tide, so in low tide situations, they are left high and dry. They are well adapted to this set up When the tide is in, they open up and filter the seawater for living plankton and organic detritus. When the tide is out the close up tight. By the way, if you go down to the beach to collect your 30 mussels, please leave the sea stars alone, they have had a rough time of it the past several years and need a couple of more years to recover from a record die-off that saw a nearly 90 percent population reduction. (If interested in knowing more about this check out the link: (below) ) Oh, and be sure you are not in a marine reserve area, as no one is allowed to collect anything from these protected areas. (here is more info: https://oregonmarinereserves.com/rules/ ) Do you eat mussels?
https://marine.ucsc.edu/data-products/sea-star-wasting/
9 people like this
10 responses
@marguicha (222167)
• Chile
1 Oct 20
I love mussels. I´d go with my bucket every day as I ave a vast amount of recipes with mussels. The first day, of course, I´d just steam-cook them and eat them out of the pot with mayo. I´d save the water for the risotto I´d make the next day.
2 people like this
@cperry2 (5608)
• Newport, Oregon
1 Oct 20
You make it sound so inviting. Living here, a mile from the coast, one would think I would like seafood. But it's funny, I don't care for it. But I know most people here love it.
@FayeHazel (40243)
• United States
2 Oct 20
I feel like I've learned a lot from this post already. Not a big fan of eating muscles .... but what is up with those sea stars? Why are some brighter color?
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40243)
• United States
2 Oct 20
@cperry2 Wow. I have a lot more questions about Sea Stars than I ever thought. I didn't know they were carnivorous... they have the strength to pull the shell open for the muscles?
1 person likes this
@cperry2 (5608)
• Newport, Oregon
2 Oct 20
@FayeHazel They do, but they are not fast about it. It could take them hours. but they have a built-in cheat too. They use a combination of physical strength, time, and a bit of hydraulic pressure to pull them open.The mussel is very strong but over time it will tire,the moment they do, they will open a bit. The shell does not have to be very far apart though. The stars do not eat like we do. Once they get the shell opened a small bit they will push their stomach out through their mouth and into the shell. Once the stomach is inside the shell, the meat inside the shell will be partially digested. Then when it is the right consistency, the star will suck all of it back inside themselves to continue to digest. Weird but effective. these sea stars have been around for more than 50 million years based on the fossil records. here is a timelapse video of the process, the balloon looking thing a few seconds in is the stomach as it is being pushed into the shell.
https://vimeo.com/45154593
1 person likes this
@cperry2 (5608)
• Newport, Oregon
2 Oct 20
Great question. The ocher sea star comes in a variety of colors. From a dull brown to bright orange, then there are purple and some even blue. I have a photo (not one of mine) somewhere of an ocher star that is half orange and half bluish-purple. What I understand of the science is that part of the answer to the diversity of color is that while the sea stars can see, sort of, they cannot distinguish color at all. So they do not form a bias for one color over another. They have a set of rudimentary eye cells at the end of each arm that can distinguish light and dark and not much else. The fact is that they do not need great eyesight to find food. They live in those mussel beds and simply move from one spot to another when hungry, there is plenty of food for them.
1 person likes this
@sissy15 (12290)
• United States
3 Oct 20
I can honestly say I don't like any sort of seafood. I'm near all lakes and even those are a little bit from us. My son wants to possibly do marine biology when he gets older. I remember when he was really little we were at an aquarium where they had the penguins in with the fish and while all of the other kids were looking at the penguins my son was fascinated with the fish. He loves penguins too though. I've been meaning to take him to the lake to do a beach cleanup like he's been wanting to do for a while. My son has a love for all things aquatic.
1 person likes this
@sissy15 (12290)
• United States
3 Oct 20
@cperry2 I don't know what he'll end up doing but he's been saying scientist for a long time. He loves science, especially animal science but things could always change between now and then. He's only 9...almost 10.
1 person likes this
@cperry2 (5608)
• Newport, Oregon
3 Oct 20
I'm the same on seafood. I think I would encourage your son to pursue what he feels. Too many people get to college and have no idea what they want to do. For those that do, they are several steps ahead of everyone else.
1 person likes this
@cperry2 (5608)
• Newport, Oregon
3 Oct 20
@sissy15 Oh, yeah, things usually do change. My younger daughter wanted to be an ER doctor, but in her first year of college she fell in love and all that fell by the wayside. She is a stay at home mom, though her youngest is now 17. Both my daughter and grandaughter volunteer now at a wildlife rescue in Davis California. They take in injured wild animals and try to help them back to health and to the wild.
1 person likes this
@VivaLaDani13 (60794)
• Perth, Australia
2 Jan 21
@cperry2 They are completely safe from me. I don't eat any type of seafood. But happy to learn more about them as creatures. This post was very interesting!
1 person likes this
• Perth, Australia
3 Jan 21
@cperry2 Have you always been that way? I used to eat fish when I was little but there came a time I didn't want to eat anything that came from the sea anymore. Think it's more of a mental thing.
1 person likes this
@cperry2 (5608)
• Newport, Oregon
3 Jan 21
@VivaLaDani13 When I was a kid I loved to go fishing and my mom would fry up what I caught. I was always adventurous and would try anything once (food-wise) That's when I learned I didn't care for the taste of most seafood. Now, I have to be in the mood for fish, which is a very rare time.
1 person likes this
@cperry2 (5608)
• Newport, Oregon
3 Jan 21
I might have mentioned, I don't eat seafood either. Maybe fish once in a great while, but nothing else.
1 person likes this
• Agra, India
1 Oct 20
hi. Seeing you after so many days
1 person likes this
• Agra, India
1 Oct 20
@cperry2 ohk...that is fine.. are you working on some.other site.
1 person likes this
@cperry2 (5608)
• Newport, Oregon
1 Oct 20
I've been around. Peeking in once in a while. I just needed a break from myLot. I suppose I needed some quiet time.
1 person likes this
@cperry2 (5608)
• Newport, Oregon
1 Oct 20
@amitkokiladitya I spend a lot of my time working in my garden or in the yard, I've been redoing a lot of the landscaping. (My wife hates me to do this sometimes.) But I also put up an eighty-foot long fence, replaced all the paneling on my back wall, put mulch down on the side yard, and renewed the mulch in all the spots in the front yard. I suppose I have been just trying to stay busy since we do not go out in public much right now with the pandemic in the air.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (36486)
6 Oct 20
I've been to Newport. Very special place, and I enjoyed seeing all the starfish. You are fortunate the beach is so close to you. I never get tired of it.
1 person likes this
@cperry2 (5608)
• Newport, Oregon
6 Oct 20
Neither do my wife and I, but we do tend to take it for granted at times. Most of this summer, we have avoided the beach because there were too many tourists. Things have quited down now and we are able to take long walks there again.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (179489)
• United States
4 Oct 20
I do eat mussels on occassion. They are very good with garlic and butter.
1 person likes this
@cperry2 (5608)
• Newport, Oregon
5 Oct 20
I have heard that. I've never tried them, but after my experience with snails, oysters, and clams I am pretty negative about trying any more seafood. But there are plenty of other things to eat, I'm happy.
@Dena91 (16560)
• United States
1 Oct 20
I don't eat them but Mike enjoys them. Interesting post, thanks for the information
1 person likes this
@cperry2 (5608)
• Newport, Oregon
1 Oct 20
You are welcome. These mussels coat most of the rocks near where I live. Just like in the picture.
1 person likes this
@Janet357 (75646)
1 Oct 20
I eat mussels and I am amazed by these facts. Thank you for this beautiful, informative discussion.
1 person likes this
@cperry2 (5608)
• Newport, Oregon
1 Oct 20
You are welcome.
@Shunnan (2106)
1 Oct 20
what a big blessings i love sea foods a lot and thank you for the information
1 person likes this
@cperry2 (5608)
• Newport, Oregon
1 Oct 20
you are welcome
1 person likes this