Editing Mussel (section)

===Culture methods===
Freshwater mussels are used as host animals for the cultivation of [[freshwater pearl]]s. Some species of marine mussel, including the [[blue mussel]] (''Mytilus edulis'') and the [[New Zealand green-lipped mussel]] (''Perna canaliculus''), are also cultivated as a source of food.[[File:Bouchots DSC04101.jpg|thumb|75px|right|''Bouchots'' are marine pilings for growing mussels, here shown at an agricultural fair.]]In some areas of the world, mussel farmers collect naturally occurring marine mussel seed for transfer to more appropriate growing areas, however, most North American mussel farmers rely on hatchery-produced seed.<ref name="BC" /> Growers typically purchase seed after it has set (about 1mm in size) or after it has been nursed in upwellers for 3-6 additional weeks and is 2-3mm.<ref name="BC" /> The seed is then typically reared in a nursery environment, where it is transferred to a material with a suitable surface for later relocation to the growing area. After about three months in the nursery, mussel seed is "socked" (placed in a tube-like mesh material) and hung on longlines or rafts for grow-out. Within a few days, the mussels migrate to the outside of the sock for better access food sources in the water column. Mussels grow quickly and are usually ready for harvest in less than two years. Unlike other cultured bivalves, mussels use byssus threads (beard) to attach themselves to any firm substrate, which makes them suitable for a number of culture methods.

There are a variety of techniques for growing mussels.

* '''Bouchot culture:''' Intertidal growth technique, or bouchot technique: pilings, known in French as bouchots, are planted at sea; ropes, on which the mussels grow, are tied in a spiral on the pilings; some mesh netting prevents the mussels from falling away. This method needs an extended tidal zone.
* '''On-bottom culture:''' On-bottom culture is based on the principle of transferring mussel seed (spat) from areas where they have settled naturally to areas where they can be placed in lower densities to increase growth rates, facilitate harvest, and control predation (Mussel farmers must remove predators and macroalgae during the growth cycle).<ref name="Mytilus">{{cite web|title=Cultured Aquatic Species Information Programme, Mytilus edulis|url=http://www.fao.org/fishery/culturedspecies/Mytilus_edulis/en|publisher=FAO}}</ref>
* '''Raft culture:''' Raft culture is a commonly used method throughout the world. Lines of rope mesh socks are seeded with young mussels and suspended vertically from a raft. The specific length of the socks depends on depth and food availability.
* '''Longline culture (rope culture):''' Mussels are cultivated extensively in New Zealand, where the most common method is to attach mussels to ropes which are hung from a rope back-bone supported by large plastic floats. The most common species cultivated in New Zealand is the New Zealand green-lipped mussel. Longline culture is the most recent development for mussel culture<ref name="Mytilus" /> and are often used as an alternative to raft culture in areas that are more exposed to high wave energy. A long-line is suspended by a series of small anchored floats and ropes or socks of mussels are then suspended vertically from the line.
<gallery heights="150" mode="packed">
File:MusselsKotorBay2.jpg|Longline mussel farm in [[Bay of Kotor]], [[Montenegro]]
File:Abucay,Bataanjf3721 06.JPG|[[Bamboo]] raft used for mussel breeding and propagation ([[Abucay, Bataan]], [[Philippines]])
File:Mussel farming in NZ.webm|Using a [[Remotely operated underwater vehicle|remotely-operated submersible]] to inspect mussel longlines in [[New Zealand]]
</gallery>