Mytilus Edulis is a mussel that is about 5-10 cm, but the largest size can be 15-20 cm, the shell is rough, triangular size. Its color is purple or blue but sometimes brown, the color brown is most common. This mussel can be mostly small or big but its big all the time.

 

This common mussel is found everywhere in the world, but mostly in Rocky Shores or in European countries. They do well in the ecosystem by being very hidden their shell, they are big and they eat, they are found everywhere you see them. M. Edulis is a mussel or a clam; there are millions of them in the rocky shores. This mussel population is not shrinking, it grows. This mussel can be really mean when you take its food. The mussel is really hard, but when somebody touches it, it can break easily its hard but it’s thin.

 

This mussel filters through fresh water in the shores, this mussel spawns from May to October, depending on the water temperature. Each Spawning contains 5 and 12 millions of eggs. Though during the days they began to grow a lot they get really thin. They get really big that sometimes it can break. This mussel filters water every once a year they are really weird. After two shells are opened the closing mussel and four pairs become really really visible you can’t be able to see them. This mussel can’t be eaten it's too hard to be eaten for most predators. The clam is really hard but humans and other animals like starfish can eat it. When you touch it, it breaks really easy. This animal is a really interesting animal to write about.

 

Author: Jennifer P

Published: 03/2008

 

Sources: Exploring life science 2004, By-Marshall Cavendish www.marlin.ac.uk/species/myilusedulis.html www.ncbi.hlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?id=6550

 

Photo Credit: User: Darkone http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Miesmuscheln_Mytilus_2.jpg