Endangered freshwater mussels squirt water to help larvae survive – research

Researchers think the freshwater mussels squirt water jets to increase the chances of their larvae attaching to the right host fishes (Johny Kristensen/Alamy/PA)

An endangered freshwater mussel squirts water up to a metre away in order to give its young the best chance of survival, new research suggests.

Researchers were amazed to see the behaviour in the brainless creature captured on film.