Marine mussel

Scientific Name: – Mytilidae

Mytilidae is a family of small to large saltwater mussels, marine bivalve mollusks in the order Mytiloida. It is the only family in the order. This order (and family) contains 32 genera. Species in the family Mytilidae are found world-wide, but they are more abundant in colder seas, where they often form uninterrupted beds on rocky shores in the intertidal zone and the shallow subtidal. The subfamily Bathymodiolinae is found in deep-sea 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 attached themselves to a solid substrate using a byssus.

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