Description
Family Mytilidae
Scars of the anterior and posterior adductor muscles decidedly unequal (the anterior scar is the smaller one, and may be scarcely noticeable); umbones generally, but not always, much nearer the anterior end than the middle , hinge plate without teeth and without a chondrophore ; usually attached to a hard substratum by a byssus of organic threads (includes some species that bore into rock or hard clay ).Mussels are members of the molluscan Class Bivalvia along with clams and scallops . Attaching to the substrate and each other with byssal threads , mussels often form dense beds that support rich epifaunal and infaunal invertebrate assemblages . Other groups commonly associating with mussels are porifera (sponges), cnidarians (including hydroids , corals , and anemones), annelids , crustaceans, bivalves , bryozoans , and echinoderms . Mussel larvae remain in the water column for several weeks. Mussels are suspension feeders , filtering plankton and other small particles from the water column. Mussels are preyed upon by sea stars, gastropods and crabs.
Taxonomy
- Domain:
Eukaryota
(
)
- Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- eukaryotes
- Kingdom:
Animalia
(
)
- Linnaeus, 1758
- animals
- Subkingdom:
Bilateria
(
)
- (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983
- Branch:
Protostomia
(
)
- Grobben, 1908
- Infrakingdom:
Lophotrochozoa
(
)
- Superphylum:
Eutrochozoa
(
)
- Phylum:
Mollusca
(
)
- (Linnaeus, 1758) Cuvier, 1795
- Molluscs
- Class:
Bivalvia
(
)
- Linnaeus, 1758
- Bivalves
- Subclass:
Metabranchia
(
)
- Superorder:
Filibranchia
(
)
- Order:
Pteriomorpha
(
)
- Superfamily:
Mytiloidea
(
)
- Superfamily:
Mytiloidea
(
- Order:
Pteriomorpha
(
- Superorder:
Filibranchia
(
- Subclass:
Metabranchia
(
- Class:
Bivalvia
(
- Phylum:
Mollusca
(
- Superphylum:
Eutrochozoa
(
- Infrakingdom:
Lophotrochozoa
(
- Branch:
Protostomia
(
- Subkingdom:
Bilateria
(
- Kingdom:
Animalia
(
Similar Species
Members of the genus Amygdalum
There are approximately 15 species in this genus:
A. agglutinans · A. americanum · A. arborescens · A. beddomei · A. dendriticum · A. dolichum · A. glaberrima · A. lineum · A. newcombi · A. pallidulum (Pallid Papermussel) · A. papyrium (Atlantic Papermussel) · A. peasei · A. politum (Polished Papermussel) · A. sagittatum (Arrow Papermussel) · A. watsoni
More Info
- Search for Pictures: images.google.com
- Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
- Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
- Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books
Further Reading
- Okutani, T., 2000, Marine Mollusks in Japan, pg.875.
Notes
Identifiers
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 16341650
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 2084280
