Spat are very young shellfish, and the raw material of mussel farms. Mussel spat develop from a floating larval stage. The larvae attach themselves to seaweed or ropes and develop into miniature shellfish 0.3 mm long – about the width of a needle tip. They move from site to site until they are 0.6 mm in length, when they attach themselves permanently to a settlement site. Green-lipped mussel spat, pictured here, are oval with brown zigzag markings on the shell.
Using this item
NIWA – National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.
Add new comment