Mytilidae are a

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

of small to large marine and brackish-water

bivalve Bivalvia (), in previous centuries referred to as the Lamellibranchiata and Pelecypoda, is a class of marine and freshwater molluscs that have laterally compressed bodies enclosed by a shell consisting of two hinged parts. As a group, bival ...

mollusc Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is esti ...

s in the order Mytilida. One of the genera, ''

Limnoperna ''Limnoperna'' is a genus of bivalves belonging to the family Mytilidae. The species of this genus are found in Southern America, Southeastern Asia and Australia. Species: *''Limnoperna atrata'' *''Limnoperna balani'' *''Limnoperna fortunei'' ...

'', even inhabits

freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does include ...

environments. The order has only this one family which contains some 52 genera.Bouchet, P. (2014
Mytilidae Rafinesque, 1815

World Register of Marine Species The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a taxonomic database that aims to provide an authoritative and comprehensive list of names of marine organisms. Content The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scientific specialist ...

Species in the family Mytilidae are found worldwide, but they are more abundant in colder seas, where they often form uninterrupted beds on rocky shores in the

intertidal zone The intertidal zone, also known as the foreshore, is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide (in other words, the area within the tidal range). This area can include several types of habitats with various species o ...

and the shallow subtidal. The subfamily Bathymodiolinae is found in

deep-sea The deep sea is broadly defined as the ocean depth where light begins to fade, at an approximate depth of 200 metres (656 feet) or the point of transition from continental shelves to continental slopes. Conditions within the deep sea are a combin ...

habitats. Mytilids include the well-known edible sea mussels. A common feature of the shells of mussels is an asymmetrical shell which has a thick, adherent periostracum. The animals attach themselves to a solid substrate using a

byssus A byssus () is a bundle of filaments secreted by many species of bivalve mollusc that function to attach the mollusc to a solid surface. Species from several families of clams have a byssus, including pen shells (Pinnidae), true mussels (Mytilid ...

. A 2020 study of the phylogeny of Mytilidae recovered two main

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

s derived from an epifaunal ancestor, with subsequent lineages shifting to other lifestyles, and correlating

convergent evolution Convergent evolution is the independent evolution of similar features in species of different periods or epochs in time. Convergent evolution creates analogous structures that have similar form or function but were not present in the last com ...

siphon A siphon (from grc, σίφων, síphōn, "pipe, tube", also spelled nonetymologically syphon) is any of a wide variety of devices that involve the flow of liquids through tubes. In a narrower sense, the word refers particularly to a tube in a ...

traits.

Genera

California mussel (Mytilus californianus) 01

Genera within the family Mytilidae include: * '' Adipicola'' Dautzenberg, 1927 * ''

Adula The Rheinwaldhorn ( it, Adula) is the highest point in the Swiss canton of Ticino at 3,402 metres above sea level. It lies on the border between the cantons of Graubünden and Ticino, in the Adula massif, part of the St. Gotthard massif of the ...

'' H. Adams & A. Adams, 1857 * '' Amygdalum'' Megerle von Muhlfeld, 1811 * '' Arcuatula'' Jousseaume in Lamy, 1919 (incl. '' Musculista'') * '' Arenifodiens'' Wilson, 2006 * '' Arvella'' Bartsch, 1960 * '' Aulacomya'' Mörch, 1853 * ''

Bathymodiolus ''Bathymodiolus'' is a genus of deep-sea mussels, marine bivalve molluscs in the family Mytilidae. Many of them contain intracelluar chemoautotrophic bacterial symbionts. Species Modern (non-fossil) species within the genus ''Bathymodiolus'' i ...

'' Kenk & Wilson, 1985 * '' Benthomodiolus'' Dell, 1987 * '' Botula'' Mörch, 1853 * '' Brachidontes'' Swainson, 1840 * '' Choromytilus'' Soot-Ryen, 1952 * '' Crenella'' T. Brown, 1827 * '' Crenomytilus'' Soot-Ryen, 1955 * ''

Dacrydium ''Dacrydium'' is a genus of conifers belonging to the podocarp family Podocarpaceae. Sixteen species of evergreen dioecious trees and shrubs are presently recognized. The genus was first described by Solander in 1786, and formerly included many m ...

'' Torell, 1859 * '' Exosiperna'' Iredale, 1929 * '' Fungiacava'' T. F. Goreau, N. I. Goreau, Neumann & Yonge, 1968 * '' Geukensia'' Van de Poel, 1959 * '' Gibbomodiola'' Sacco, 1898 * '' Gigantidas'' Cosel & Marshall, 2003 * '' Gregariella'' Monterosato, 1884 * ''

Idas In Greek mythology, Idas (; grc, Ἴδας, Ídas), was a Messenian prince. He was one of the Argonauts, a participant in the hunt for the Calydonian Boar and contender with the gods. Idas was described as keen and spirited.Hyginus, ''Fabulae 1 ...

'' Jeffreys, 1876 * '' Idasola'' Iredale, 1939 * '' Ischadium'' Jukes-Browne, 1905 * '' Jolya'' Bourguignat, 1877 * '' Leiosolenus'' Carpenter, 1857 * ''

'' Rochebrune, 1882 * ''

Lioberus ''Lioberus'' is a genus of mussels in the family Mytilidae Mytilidae are a family of small to large marine and brackish-water bivalve molluscs in the order Mytilida. One of the genera, '' Limnoperna'', even inhabits freshwater environments. ...

'' Dall, 1898 * '' Lithophaga'' Röding, 1798 * '' Megacrenella'' Habe & Ito, 1965 * '' Modiolatus'' Jousseaume, 1893 * '' Modiolula'' Sacco, 1898 * ''

Modiolarca ''Modiolarca'', is a genus of medium-sized Marine (ocean), marine bivalve molluscs in the family (biology), Family Mytilidae, the mussels. Species within the genus ''Modiolarca'' * ''Modiolarca bicolor'' * ''Modiolarca cummingiana'' * ''Modiolar ...

'' Gray, 1842 * '' Modiolus''

Lamarck Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, chevalier de Lamarck (1 August 1744 – 18 December 1829), often known simply as Lamarck (; ), was a French naturalist, biologist, academic, and soldier. He was an early proponent of the idea that biolog ...

, 1799 * '' Musculus'' Röding, 1798 * '' Mytella'' Soot-Ryen, 1955 * ''

Mytilaster ''Mytilaster'' is a genus of marine mussels from the warmer waters of the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Basin. The type species is ''Mytilaster lineatus. Species * ''Mytilaster lineatus ''Mytilaster lineatus'' is a species of marine mu ...

'' Monterosato, 1884 * '' Mytilus''

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...

1758 Events January–March * January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of Systema Naturae, 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the sta ...

; includes most edible mussel species * '' Perna'' Philipsson, 1788 - incl.

New Zealand green-lipped mussel ''Perna canaliculus'', the New Zealand green-lipped mussel, also known as the New Zealand mussel, the greenshell mussel, ''kuku'', and ''kutai'', is a bivalve mollusc in the family Mytilidae (the true mussels). ''P. canaliculus'' has economic im ...

* ''

Perumytilus ''Perumytilus'' is a monotypic genus of bivalves belonging to the family Mytilidae Mytilidae are a family of small to large marine and brackish-water bivalve molluscs in the order Mytilida. One of the genera, '' Limnoperna'', even inhabits fre ...

'' Olsson, 1961 * '' Rhomboidella'' Monterosato, 1884 * '' Semimytilus'' Soot-Ryen, 1955 * '' Septifer'' Recluz, 1848 * ''

Sinomytilus ''Sinomytilus'' is a genus of saltwater, brackish water and freshwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the subfamily Septiferinae of the family Mytilidae Mytilidae are a family of small to large marine and brackish-water bivalve mollusc ...

'' Thiele, 1934 * '' Solamen'' Iredale, 1924 * '' Stavelia'' Gray, 1858 * ''

Tamu Tamu may refer to: * Texas A&M University or TAMU * Tamu, Myanmar ** Tamu District, Myanmar ** Tamu Township * Ta'mu, rice cooked in woven coconut leaves from the Philippines * Tamu Massif, an inactive underwater volcano in the Pacific * '' Helio ...

'' Gustafson, Turner, Lutz & Vrijenhoek, 1998 * ''

Trichomya ''Trichomya'' is a Monotypic taxon, monotypic genus of marine (ocean), marine bivalve molluscs in the family (biology), family Mytilidae, the mussels. The only species is ''Trichomya hirsuta'' which is Endemism, endemic to southern and eastern A ...

'' Ihering, 1900 * '' Urumella'' Hayami & Kase, 1993 * '' Vilasina'' Bartsch, 1960 * '' Vulcanidas'' Cosel & B. A. Marshall, 2010 * '' Xenostrobus'' Wilson, 1967 * '' Zelithophaga'' Finlay, 1926

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Bivalve families Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque