| Synonyms | | | | Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819 | | | M. edulis galloprovincialis , , or M. edulis form galloprovincialis (of authors); this suggests that what has been called M. galloprovincialis is probably a race or variety of M. edulis . See sheet Mytilus edulis and remarks. |
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| FAO Names | | En - Mediterranean mussel, Fr - Moule méditerranéenne, Sp - Mejillón mediterráneo. |
| 3Alpha Code: MSM Taxonomic Code: 3161000112 |
| Diagnostic Features | | | Equal to Mytilus edulis but separated by the following characters: a) the umbones turning downwards tending to make the basal line of the shell concave; b) the valves are higher and less angular on the upper margin and tend to grow larger; c) the mantle edge darker, becoming blue or purple. |
| Geographical Distribution | |
| | Mediterranean Sea. |
| Habitat and Biology | | | The exact range of M. galloprovincialis is not known because of the confusion with other, very similar Mytilus . In Europe it lives on all coasts that have hard substrates.Intertidal to 40 m deepattached by byssus threads to rocks and piers, within sheltered harbours and estuaries and on rocky shores of the open coast, sometimes living in dense masses wherever there are suitable surfaces for attachment.The diet of mussels consists of phytoplankton and detritus filtered from the surrounding water.The dimensions of the species is greatly influenced by its biotope: intertidal shells often remain small, rarely exceding 6 cm, while deep-water shells easily measure 9 cm. |
| Size | | | Maximum 15 cm; common 5-8 cm. |
| Interest to Fisheries | | Global Capture production for
Mytilus galloprovincialis
(FAO Fishery Statistic) |  |   |
| Global Aquaculture production for
Mytilus galloprovincialis
(FAO Fishery Statistic) |  | | |
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Natural and cultivated. The exploitation of these beds which was manual until recently developed in a giant industry in the fifties. The total catch reported for this species to FAO for 1999 was 55 819 t. The countries with the largest catches were Italy (37 876 t) and Greece (15 860 t).
Marketed fresh, frozen and canned. | |  Related Fishing Techniques |
| Local Names | | | Catalan : Clòtxina , Musclo . |
| English : Bay mussel , Black mussel , Blue mussel , Common mussel , Edible mussel , Mussel . |
| French : Moule , Moule commune . |
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| Remarks | | Extremely variable in shape and colour. Some shells have a pattern of radiating striae on a pale, often olive background. Most shells are smooth and relatively thin, but in some populations they have a rough surface due to heavy growth lines. These shells can be fairly thick. The periostracum is often intact, but in some conditions it may be absent, leaving the blue shell unprotected against erosion. Mediterranean specimens are usually large, flat, and have more concave basal line, giving the shell a rounded shape and may regard a separate species, a subspecies or a form of M. edulis . They called M. galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819. M. edulis galloprovincialis, or M. edulis form galloprovincialis .
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Bibliography Alegre, M., J. Lleonart & J. Veny- 1992Espècies Pesqueres d'interès comercial. Nomenclatura oficial catalana. Generalitat de Catalunya. Departament de Cultura, DARP, TERMCAT. 64 pp. Hepper, B.T. - 1957Notes on Mytilus galloprovincialis, Lamarck in Great Britain. J. Mar. Biol. Ass. U.K. 36 (1): 33-40. Lewis, J.R. & H.T. Powell. - 1961Curved and ungulate forms of Mytilus edulis . Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 137 (4): 583-598. Poppe, G.T. & Y. Goto. - 1993European Seashells. Vera, J. - 1992Diccionario multilingüe de especies marinas para el mundo hispano. Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación. Secretaria General Técnica. 1282 pp. Verlag Christa Hemmen, darmstadt, Germany,221 pp. vo. II: Tebble, N. - 1966 British Bivalve Seashells. A Handbook for Identification, London Trusties of the British Nuseum (Natural History): 212 pp. |
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