| Common Name | California mussel |
| Language | English |
| Type | Vernacular |
| Official Trade Name | No |
| Rank | 2 - (Preferred common name (unique)) |
| Country | United States (contiguous states) |
| Locality | |
| Ref. | Gallivan, G. and J. Danforth, 1999 |
| Life Stage | juveniles and adults |
| Sex | females and males |
| Core | primary lexeme |
| 1st Modifier | locality/area |
| 2nd Modifier | |
| Remarks | 'mussel' from Latin 'musculus'; lit. 'little mouse,' also 'muscle'; like muscle, derived from mus 'mouse' on the perceived similarity of size and shape. |