Mytilus is a cosmopolitan genus of medium to large-sized edible, mainly saltwater mussels, marine bivalve molluscs in the family Mytilidae. [1] Mussels have a gray to blue-purple, fully grown shell about 5 - 10 centimeters long with an elongated oval shape. They follow the general blueprint of the mussels.

The genus Mytilus includes several closely related (congeneric) species (or subspecies) that can interbreed with each other and make fertile hybrids. It is often called the Mytilus edulis complex.

1991年5月1日 · Studies of allozymes, morphology and (to some degree) mitochondrial genotype among worldwide samples have demonstrated the existence and geographic distributions of four species in the genus: Mytilus californianus, M. edulis, M. trossulus and M. galloprovincialis.

Members of the genus Mytilus naturally have a widespread distribution (Gosling, 1992c; Wonham, 2004) and different species have probably been unintentionally moved around the globe for centuries and continue to be transported with shipping; more recently seed stocks have been moved for aquaculture.

Mytilus is a common genus of medium to large-sized marine mussels. They are bivalve molluscs of the family Mytilidae. [1] . Mussels are edible, and are used in various stews and soups. In life, they are attached to the substrate (rocks etc) by byssus threads. Species within the genus Mytilus include: Mytilus mussels are widely used as food.

The genus Mytilus exists in the European coasts as three taxonomic forms, two of these, Mytilus edulis and Mytilus galloprovincialis, being predominant. The other species, Mytilus trossulus is restricted to the Baltic Sea. All forms can be recognised by analysis of morphological traits and genetic markers.

Mussels, of the genus Mytilus are among the commonest of marine molluscs and constitute an important element in the ecology of coastal waters. The mussel's sessile habit makes it suited to cultivation and as filter-feeder an effective concentrator of trace toxic substances.

Mytilus Click on organism name to get more information. THE NCBI Taxonomy database allows browsing of the taxonomy tree, which contains a classification of organisms.

Genera can be differentiated as follows: Mytilus is a cosmopolitan genus with at least four species (Koehn 1991), has shells with beaks at the terminal portion of the anterior end and lack internal septa, while ir anterior end. All other genera have shells with beaks that are anterior,

Systematics evolution and distribution of mussels belonging to the genus Mytilus: an overview. American Malacological Bulletin. 9 (2): 123-137., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/45931307 [details]