Mytilus (genus)
genus of edible saltwater mussels
Mytilus is a common genus of medium to large-sized marine mussels. They are bivalve molluscs of the family Mytilidae.[1] Mussels are edible, and are used in various stews and soups. In life, they are attached to the substrate (rocks etc) by byssus threads.
| Mytilus Temporal range:
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| Mytilus edulis in the intertidal zone in Cornwall, England | |
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| Genus: | Mytilus Linnaeus, 1798
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Species
changeSpecies within the genus Mytilus include:
- the Mytilus edulis complex:
- Mytilus edulis Linnaeus, 1758 – blue mussel, edible blue mussel
- Mytilus edulis platensis d'Orbigny, 1846 = Mytilus chilensis (Hupé, 1854) – Chilean mussel (controversial)
- Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819 – Mediterranean mussel
- Mytilus trossulus Gould, 1850 – foolish mussel
- Mytilus edulis Linnaeus, 1758 – blue mussel, edible blue mussel
- Mytilus californianus Conrad, 1837 – California mussel
- Mytilus coruscus Gould, 1861
Human use
changeMytilus mussels are widely used as food. In California they were eaten by coastal Native American people for almost 12,000 years.[2]
References
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Wikispecies has information on: Mytilus.
- ↑ Powell A.W.B. 1979. New Zealand Mollusca, Collins, Auckland. ISBN 0-00-216906-1
- ↑ Erlandson, Jon M. et al 2008. Human impacts on ancient shellfish: a 10,000 year record from San Miguel Island, California. Journal of Archaeological Science. 35:2144-2152.
- "Mytilus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
- McDonald J.H; Seed R. and Koehn R.K. 1991. Allozymes and morphometric characters of three species of Mytilus in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres[permanent dead link]. Marine Biology 111: 323-333.
