From many sources, it is known that freshwater mussels in North America bury themselves into the sediments during the winter (see reference below). Since they lack a true siphon, they cannot feed when completely buried. Saw one reference that suggested it was to avoid being entrained in surface ice, but that doesn't seem likely for mussels in the bottom half of the US where ice is not usually thick enough to even entrain mussels on the bottom. Does anyone know of a good hypothesis to explain migration down into sediments during winter?
Arnyot, J.-P. and J. A. Downing. 1997. Seasonal variation in vertical and horizontal movement of the freshwater bivalves Elliptio complanata (Mollusca: Unionidae). Freshw. Biol. 37:345-354.
Mussels have a limited range of temperatures that they tolerate, and that is optimal for growth and glochidia production. Mussels may bury themselves completely during winter to hide from colder temperatures, but as far as I know, no research has been done on why they bury themselves.
This may be the way to save them from cold or may be for saving their glochidia from cold which remain in their gills during winter and comes out in summer.
There are following 2 articles that I found can help you.
1. Patterns of Vertical Migration in Freshwater
Mussels (Bivalvia: Unionoida)
G. Thomas Watters , Scott H. O'Dee & Steven Chordas III
To cite this article: G. Thomas Watters , Scott H. O'Dee & Steven Chordas III (2001) Patterns
of Vertical Migration in Freshwater Mussels (Bivalvia: Unionoida), Journal of Freshwater Ecology,
16:4, 541-549, DOI: 10.1080/02705060.2001.9663845
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/02705060.2001.9663845
2. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs144p2_054084.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiYoK6E-dPwAhWL4XMBHeFEAUwQFjANegQIExAC&sqi=2&usg=AOvVaw3gyO94p1jb_wutiUjxWk3n
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