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Animal profile · Mollusks · mussel
Blue mussel
Mytilus edulis
The blue mussel is a bivalve that lives in dense beds along cool coastal shores. Its dark shell protects a soft body that filters food from seawater.
Not a fish · an aquatic neighborWater
Saltwater + Brackish
Rocky intertidal shores, mudflats, estuaries, and subtidal coastal waters.
Temperature
Range not established
A dependable species-specific wild temperature range was not found; values are left unreported.
Size
Up to about 10 cm (4 in) shell length
About as long as a small smartphone
Lifespan
Often several years; lifespan varies among populations
Life expectancy varies with place, conditions, and what scientists have been able to observe.
01 · Signature adaptation
What does it do?
It attaches in groups that form mussel beds. These beds create shelter and attachment surfaces for many other coastal organisms.
02 · Home coordinates
Where does it live?
Temperate and Arctic coastal waters of the North Atlantic and adjacent European and North American shores.
Regions: North Atlantic Ocean · Arctic Ocean · European coasts · North American coasts
03 · The menu
What does it eat?
It draws seawater through its gills and removes tiny food particles.
filter feeder: phytoplankton, diatoms, dinoflagellates, detritus.
04 · Remember this
Two wow facts
Ecosystem builder
Mussel beds provide habitat and food for many other animals and surfaces where algae can grow.
Sources [3] [1]
Living water filter
A mussel feeds by filtering microscopic organisms and particles from the surrounding water.
Sources [1] [2]