-+Pacific+Blue+Mussel

The blue mussel (or //Mytilus edulis//) is a marine bivalve mollusk found in the Arctic, North Pacific, and North Atlantic Oceans. They are often found in clusters attached to shoreline rocks. They attach themselves by means of tough brown fibers called byssal threads (commonly known as the beard). Mussels are filter feeders filtering some 10 to 15 gallons of water per day. Mussels are also edible and eaten throughout the world. The meat from mussels is high in vitamins, protein and minerals and is found in many European seafood dishes.

size: 11cm long intertidal to 180m (600ft)

By Steven

As we walked around the beach i couldnt help but notice little mussels littering the beach on logs and rocks. I looked them up and found that they were actually pacific blue mussels. They have smooth shiny black shells and can get up to 11 cm long. they attach to their base by extending small threads from the bottem of the shell into the wood or rock. They prefer colder water so they are only found from about San Fransisco to the Arctic region. They feed on plankton by filter feeding like most bivalves. they also enjoy to group together which is why you will find them in clusters attached to the same rocks or docks. Otters and crabs eat these as a great food source, also farm raised for seafood restaraunts and fish markets to be consumed by the homo sapiens.

By Brett
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 * [[image:101_0173.JPG width="216" height="201" caption="picture by Jean"]] ||