Mytilus (genus)
Mytilus | |
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Mytilus edulis in the intertidal zone in Cornwall, England | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | |
Phylum: | |
Class: | |
Subclass: | Pteriomorphia
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Order: | Mytiloida
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Family: | Mytilidae
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Genus: | Mytilus Linnaeus, 1798
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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.
Species
Species within the genus Mytilus include:
- the Mytilus edulis complex:
- Mytilus californianus Conrad, 1837 – California mussel
- Mytilus coruscus Gould, 1861
Human use
Mytilus mussels are widely used as food. In California they were eaten by coastal Native American people for almost 12,000 years.[2]
References
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.