Details
Mytilus edulis
An edible bivalve common on northern Atlantic coasts. It has blue-black shells and forms dense beds attached by byssal threads.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
Lives in cool-temperate intertidal and shallow subtidal waters, attached to rocks, pilings, ropes, and other hard surfaces.
The shell is elongated and triangular, usually blue-black to dark purple outside with a pearly interior.
It anchors itself with tough byssal threads. Dense mussel beds resist wave action and create shelter for many small animals.
It filters phytoplankton and organic particles from seawater using its gills. Food supply depends on water quality and currents.
Adults release eggs and sperm into the water. Larvae drift before settling onto hard substrate and growing their shells.
Blue mussels support fisheries and aquaculture and are used in water-quality monitoring. They can accumulate algal toxins during harmful blooms.
