This activity explores the life cycle of green-lipped mussels and encourages students to research the methods by which they are farmed in New Zealand. It provides the opportunity to use a Venn diagram to organise information graphically.
Similarities and differences: wild and farmed green-lipped mussels – Venn diagram
Wild mussels only
Farmed mussels only
Both wild and farmed mussels
Unused items
- Larvae settle onto seaweed
- Release eggs or sperm into the water
- Filter feeders
- Previously fished by dredging
- Grow up to 24 cm long
- Seeded onto ropes using ‘mussock’
- Can contain pea crab parasites
- Feed on phytoplankton
- Spat may move from site to site
- Harvested when about 10 cm long
- Live on ropes in the water
- Some spat grown in hatcheries
- Harvested after 18 months’ growth
- Endemic to New Zealand
- Mature females have orange flesh
- Can live for many years
- May live on rocks and other mussels
- Larvae are free-swimming
- Can accumulate toxins
Similarities and differences: wild and farmed green-lipped mussels – Venn diagram
Use this interactive to illustrate the key similarities and differences between how wild and farmed green-lipped mussels live. Place each label where you think it belongs. This activity can be done individually, in pairs or as a whole class.
By the end of this activity, students should be able to:
- describe the key similarities and differences between farmed and wild green-lipped mussels
- understand how to use a Venn diagram to graphically organise information.
Download the Word file (see link below) for:
- introduction/background notes
- what you need
- what to do
- discussion points
- extension ideas
- student handout.
Related content
The following resources support learning about Aoteroa’s endemic1 green-lipped mussels and how they are farmed:
- Life of a green-lipped mussel – article
- New Zealand’s green-lipped mussel industry – article
- How mussels are farmed in New Zealand – interactive
- endemic: Native to only one location. For example, species endemic to New Zealand naturally occur only in New Zealand but may have been introduced elsewhere in the world.
