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• Taxonomy
• Physical Description
• Distribution
• Similar Species
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Taxonomy

Physical 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.

Distribution

Similar Species

Members of the genus Modiolus:

There are approximately 410 species and subspecies in this genus. Here are just 100 of them: M. abyssicola · M. adrarae · M. adriatica · M. adriaticus · M. adriaticus ovalis · M. aequalis · M. aequiplicatus · M. aff. · M. agglutinans · M. agrawali · M. agripetus · M. albicosta · M. albicostata · M. albicostatus · M. albicostus · M. altijugatus · M. altiobliquus · M. ameghinoi · M. americana · M. americanus (American Horsemussel) · M. americanys · M. anatinus · M. angusta · M. arakawensis · M. aratus · M. arborescens · M. archiaci · M. arciformis · M. arcuatula · M. areolata · M. areolatus · M. argentea · M. argenteus · M. ater · M. attenuatus · M. auriculata · M. auriculatus · M. aurum · M. ausiensis · M. australis · M. bakeri · M. bakevelloides · M. barbata · M. barbatellus · M. barbatus (Bearded Horse Mussel) · M. baylei · M. beirensis · M. bipartitus · M. biradiata · M. blandus · M. brasiliensis · M. brazilensis · M. braziliensis · M. brevis · M. bripartitus · M. bukharensis · M. californiensis · M. capax (Fat Horsemussel) · M. capensis · M. capitatus · M. carchedonius · M. carpenteri (California Horsemussel) · M. carvalhoi · M. cercadicus · M. cervus · M. chejsleveemensis · M. chiesai · M. chilensis · M. cinnamomea · M. cinnamomeus · M. citrina · M. citrinella · M. citrinus · M. coloradoensis · M. columbianus · M. compactus · M. comptus · M. concentricus · M. copax · M. coralliophagus · M. cotta · M. cottoni · M. cristatus · M. cumingiana · M. cuneatus · M. curtulus · M. curvatus · M. cylindricus · M. cymbula · M. czekanovskii · M. czekanowskii · M. dactyliformis · M. dalli · M. dalmasi · M. daviesi · M. delinificus · M. demissis · M. demissus · M. demissus granosissimus · M. demissus plicatulus

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Notes

Contributors:

• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed November 17, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 2 providers.

Data Sources:

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 17, 2007:

• The Danish Biodiversity Information Facility, Galathea II, Danish Deep Sea Expedition 1950-52.

Identifiers:

• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 16386223
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 2464389