| Family: |
Mytilidae (sea mussels) |
| Max. size: |
9.5 cm SHL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
benthic; marine; depth range 0 - 40 m |
| Distribution: |
South Pacific, Southern Atlantic, and Antarctic Indian Ocean: From southern Brazil to Tierra del Fuego in the Atlantic and from Beagle Channel to El Callo, Peru. Also from South Africa to Namibia, Kerguelen and Macquarie Island. Introduced in UK. Tropical to polar. |
| Diagnosis: |
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| Biology: |
Length information from sampling in the Patagonian shelf. Collected individuals were 47-63 mm in length (Ref. 78355). Found in shallow subtidal benthic communities of two islands in Saldanha Bay (Ref. 78353) and dominated the sessile fauna of Robben Island at depths beyond 17 m (Ref. 78192). Found attached to rocky substrates, associated with holdfasts of juvenile brown algae, and may occasionally reach greater depths; may be found isolated in intertidal or forming large banks in eulittoral (Ref. 87801). It is also found in forests of Macrocystis pyrifera (Ref. 92889). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. 123251)
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| Threat to humans: |
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| Country info: |
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