mussel
Mussel () is the common name used for members of several families of bivalve molluscs, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval.
~25 min read
Article
20 sectionsContents
- General anatomy
- Life habits
- Feeding
- Reproduction
- Predators
- Distribution and habitat
- Aquaculture
- Culture methods
- Harvest
- Mussel-inspired materials
- Environmental applications
- Mussels and nutrient mitigation
- Conservation
- Freshwater mussels
- As food
- Preparation
- Nutrition highlights
- See also
- References
- External links
Mussel () is the common name used for members of several families of bivalve molluscs, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval.
The word "mussel" is frequently used to mean the bivalves of the marine family Mytilidae, most of which live on exposed shores in the intertidal zone, attached by means of their strong byssal threads ("beard") to a firm substrate. A few species (in the genus Bathymodiolus) have colonised hydrothermal vents associated with deep ocean ridges.