How Mussels Fool Fish Into Carrying Their Parasitic Babies - 1

A fatmucket mussel, Lampsilis siliquoidea, displays a fish-like lure at the Genoa National Fish Hatchery.

The smallmouth bass (pictured, at the Genoa National Fish Hatchery) is often parasitised by rainbow mussels.

Juvenile rainbow mussels cluster together at Missouri State University. Mussel larvae can't swim and only live a few hours, so finding an animal to take care of them is key.

A smallmouth bass swims through the St. Lawrence River in New York.

The endangered snuffbox mussel, native to the U.S. and Canada, lures fish using its fleshy mantle.

The kidneyshell mussel (seen at the Columbus Zoo) is another mollusk that uses a host to raise its babies.

Mussels in the genus Lampsilis have evolved a clever way of dispersing their young.