 The main factors contributing to the decline of freshwater mussels include destruction from dams, increased siltation, channel modification, and the introduction of invasive species like the Zebra mussel.Humans have used mussels as food for thousands of years.About 17 species are edible, of which the most commonly eaten are "Mytilus edulis, M. galloprovincialis, M. trossellus" and "Perna canaliculus".