Ecology Summary - Mytilus edulis

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Ecology of Mytilus edulis

Main Ref.	Turgeon, D.D., J.F. Quinn Jr., A.E. Bogan, E.V. Coan, F.G. Hochberg, W.G. Lyons, P.M. Mikkelsen, R.J. Neves, C.F.E. Roper, G. Rosenberg, B. Roth, A. Scheltema, F.G. Thompson, M. Vecchione and J.D. Willams, 1998
Remarks	Inhabits intertidal areas (Ref. 2789). Found in quiet, sheltered areas forming dense aggregates on hard surfaces; attached by strong byssal threads (Ref. 95344). In the Vainameri, north-eastern Baltic Sea, most abundant in silty substrate (Ref. 95753). It is infaunal on sand and eelgrass beds and epifaunal on eelgrass beds (Ref. 95819). Also found on mixed sediments with gravel (Ref. 118257). Semi-mobile suspension feeder (Refs. 95752, 96470). Feeds on phytoplankton such as green algae, dinoflagellates and diatoms (Ref. 95805).

Main Ref.

Turgeon, D.D., J.F. Quinn Jr., A.E. Bogan, E.V. Coan, F.G. Hochberg, W.G. Lyons, P.M. Mikkelsen, R.J. Neves, C.F.E. Roper, G. Rosenberg, B. Roth, A. Scheltema, F.G. Thompson, M. Vecchione and J.D. Willams, 1998

Remarks

Inhabits intertidal areas (Ref. 2789). Found in quiet, sheltered areas forming dense aggregates on hard surfaces; attached by strong byssal threads (Ref. 95344). In the Vainameri, north-eastern Baltic Sea, most abundant in silty substrate (Ref. 95753). It is infaunal on sand and eelgrass beds and epifaunal on eelgrass beds (Ref. 95819). Also found on mixed sediments with gravel (Ref. 118257). Semi-mobile suspension feeder (Refs. 95752, 96470). Feeds on phytoplankton such as green algae, dinoflagellates and diatoms (Ref. 95805).

Aquatic zones / Water bodies

	Marine - Neritic	Marine - Oceanic	Brackishwater	Freshwater
Marine zones / Brackish and freshwater bodies	supra-littoral zone littoral zone sublittoral zone	epipelagic mesopelagic epipelagic abyssopelagic hadopelagic	estuaries/lagoons/brackish seas mangroves marshes/swamps	rivers/streams lakes/ponds caves exclusively in caves

Highighted items on the list are where Mytilus edulis may be found.

Habitat

Substrate	Benthic: sessile; endofauna (infauna); macrobenthos; Soft Bottom: sand; silt; Hard Bottom: rocky;
Substrate Ref.	Harvey-Clark, C., 1997
Special habitats	Beds: rock; sea grass; Other habitats: pilings;
Special habitats Ref.	Harvey-Clark, C., 1997

Associations

Ref.	Harbo, R.M., 1997
Associations	colony-forming/symphorism; commensalism;
Associated with	Zostera (Ref. 95819).
Association remarks	Forms dense masses on hard surfaces (Ref. 95344).
Parasitism

feeding

Feeding type	mainly plants/detritus (troph. 2-2.19)
Feeding type Ref.	Wang, W. and N.S. Fisher, 1996
Feeding habit	filtering plankton
Feeding habit Ref.	Harvey-Clark, C., 1997

Trophic Level(s)

Estimation method	original sample		unfished population		Remark
Estimation method	Troph	s.e.	Troph	s.e.	Remark
From diet composition
From individual food items	2.00	0.00			Trophic level and s.e. inferred from exclusive plant/detritus food items.
Ref.

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