Watch as wanderlust propels mussels on epic journeys worthy of a Pixar movie

While most bivalves are known for their sedentary lifestyles, California floater mussels are born wanderers from the moment they’re shot out of their mothers’ shells. As larvae, the crafty creatures survive by hitching rides on fish and absorbing nutrients, before releasing to riverbeds and lake bottoms upon maturity. As adults, their rate of movement maxes out at roughly a metre per hour – languid for most animals, but quite zippy for a mussel – as they use a single ‘foot’ to shuffle through the sand. Part of KQED’s science documentary series Deep Look, this video chronicles the fascinating wanderlust of these mussels, while touching on how scientists are reintroducing these and similar bivalves to their native habitats in North America in an effort to clean up waterways. You can read more about this video at KQED Science.