▁to ▁a ▁host ▁fish ' s ▁fins ▁or ▁g ills . ▁After ▁living ▁par as it ically ▁on ▁the ▁host ▁fish ▁for ▁several ▁weeks , ▁ju ven ile ▁cl ams ▁break ▁free ▁and ▁fall ▁to ▁bottom ▁of ▁the ▁river ▁where ▁they ▁bur row ▁and ▁develop ▁into ▁adult ▁muss els . ▁The ▁muss els ▁will ▁not ▁likely ▁move ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁few ▁meters ▁from ▁this ▁site ▁throughout ▁their ▁lives . ▁Ele ph ant - ears ▁are ▁filter ▁feed ers , ▁cons uming ▁primarily ▁b acter ia , ▁proto zo ans , ▁alg ae , ▁and ▁pl ank ton . ▁Common ▁pred ators ▁include ▁ot ters , ▁racc o ons , ▁mus kr ats , ▁her ons , ▁e gre ts , ▁and ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁fish . ▁Like ▁other ▁muss els , ▁ele ph ant - ears ▁are ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁long - l ived , ▁with ▁lif esp ans ▁from ▁ 2 0 ▁to ▁as ▁long ▁as ▁ 1 0 0 ▁years . ▁ ▁Although ▁w ides p read , ▁ele ph ant - ears ▁are ▁relatively ▁rare ▁in ▁the ▁Mid west , ▁but ▁are ▁locally ▁abund ant ▁in ▁some ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁Ohio ▁and ▁White ▁rivers ▁of ▁Illinois ▁and ▁Indiana . ▁Ele ph ant - ear ▁muss els ▁are ▁listed ▁as ▁end anger ed ▁in ▁Minnesota , ▁Missouri , ▁and ▁Wisconsin , ▁and ▁are ▁considered ▁threatened ▁in ▁Illinois . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁cr ass id ens ▁Category : B ival ves ▁described ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 9 <0x0A> </s> ▁Had den