Marine Superglue: Mussels get stickiness from iron in seawater

As inhabitants of rugged shores, mussels have an amazing capacity to stick to rocks, despite the constant pounding of waves. These organisms are also notorious for sticking to ships, glass, and, well, just about anything–even Teflon.

STICKY FEET. The common blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) secretes proteins that enable the organism to cling to virtually any surface, including this Teflon sheet.