Mytilidae facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mytilidae
Two shells of Mytilus edulis washed up on a beach
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Bivalvia
Order:	Mytilida
Superfamily:	Mytiloidea
Family:	Mytilidae Rafinesque, 1815
Genera
52, See text

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. Mytilidae, which contains some 52 genera, is the only extant family within the order Mytilida.

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 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 attach themselves to a solid substrate using a byssus.

A 2020 study of the phylogeny of Mytilidae recovered two main clades derived from an epifaunal ancestor, with subsequent lineages shifting to other lifestyles, and correlating convergent evolution of siphon traits.

Genera

A bed of the edible California mussel, Mytilus californianus

Mussels and attached barnacles on the Cornish coast near Newquay

Mytilus (Falcimytilus) jurensis from the Middle Jurassic (Callovian) Matmor Formation of southern Israel

Genera within the family Mytilidae include:

• Adipicola Dautzenberg, 1927
• Adula 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 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 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 Jeffreys, 1876
• Idasola Iredale, 1939
• Ischadium Jukes-Browne, 1905
• Jolya Bourguignat, 1877
• Leiosolenus Carpenter, 1857
• Limnoperna Rochebrune, 1882
• Lioberus Dall, 1898
• Lithophaga Röding, 1798
• Megacrenella Habe & Ito, 1965
• Modiolatus Jousseaume, 1893
• Modiolula Sacco, 1898
• Modiolarca Gray, 1842
• Modiolus Lamarck, 1799
• Musculus Röding, 1798
• Mytella Soot-Ryen, 1955
• Mytilaster Monterosato, 1884
• Mytilus Linnaeus, 1758; includes most edible mussel species
• Perna Philipsson, 1788 - incl. New Zealand green-lipped mussel
• Perumytilus Olsson, 1961
• Rhomboidella Monterosato, 1884
• Semimytilus Soot-Ryen, 1955
• Septifer Recluz, 1848
• Sinomytilus Thiele, 1934
• Solamen Iredale, 1924
• Stavelia Gray, 1858
• Tamu Gustafson, Turner, Lutz & Vrijenhoek, 1998
• Trichomya Ihering, 1900
• Urumella Hayami & Kase, 1993
• Vilasina Bartsch, 1960
• Vulcanidas Cosel & B. A. Marshall, 2010
• Xenostrobus Wilson, 1967
• Zelithophaga Finlay, 1926

See also

In Spanish: Mitílidos para niños