Mediterranean mussel
Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819
Status not recordedmolluscs
The mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) is a mollusc in the class Bivalvia, order Mytilida and family Mytilidae. It belongs to the subfamily Mytilinae and the genus Mytilus, within the superfamily Mytiloidea.
Quick facts about the mediterranean mussel
Its scientific name was given by Lamarck, 1819, and other English names for it are Blue mussel, Padstow mussel, Galician mussel and Mediterranean blue mussel. The Catalogue of Life lists it as a living species, not extinct.
- Weight
- Not recorded
- Length
- Not recorded
- Lifespan
- Not recorded
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- marinesrc for Habitat
- Young per litter or clutch
- Not recorded
- Conservation status
- Not recorded
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
Photos of the mediterranean mussel
Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.
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Where does the mediterranean mussel live?
Not recorded
What is the mediterranean mussel?
The Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) is a species of bivalve, a marine mollusc in the family Mytilidae. It is an invasive species in many parts of the world, and also an object of aquaculture.
From the Wikipedia article “Mediterranean mussel” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mediterranean_mussel&oldid=1370301458), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
Is the mediterranean mussel endangered?
No conservation assessment is recorded for this species in our sources. That is not the same as being safe: it has not been matched to an assessment.
How is the mediterranean mussel classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumMollusca
- classBivalvia
- orderMytilida
- familyMytilidae
- genusMytilus
- SpeciesMytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819
Synonyms Mytilus dilatatus, Mytilus edulis, Mytilus edulis diegensis, Mytilus edulis galloprovincialis, Mytilus edulis zhirmunskii, Mytilus edulis zhurmunski, Mytilus fischerianus, Mytilus flavus, Mytilus galloprovincialis, Mytilus galloprovincialis angustata, Mytilus galloprovincialis eduliformis, Mytilus galloprovincialis falcata, Mytilus galloprovincialis herculea, Mytilus galloprovincialis var. angustata, Mytilus galloprovincialis var. eduliformis, Mytilus galloprovincialis var. falcata, Mytilus galloprovincialis var. frequens, Mytilus galloprovincialis var. herculea, Mytilus galloprovincialis var. latissima, Mytilus galloprovincialis var. trepida, Mytilus galloprovincialis var. uncinata, Mytilus glocinus, Mytilus hesperianus, Mytilus lamarckianus, Mytilus obesus, Mytilus orbicularis, Mytilus pelecinus, Mytilus sagittatus, Mytilus succineus
Other names and names in other languages (52)
- Blue musselEnglish
- Galician musselEnglish
- Mediterranean blue musselEnglish
- Padstow musselEnglish
- muxón mediterraneuAsturian
- MuscloCatalan
- musclo de rocaCatalan
- musclo del MediterraniCatalan
- slávka středomořskáCzech
- SeemuschelGerman
- BlaubartmuschelGerman
- Mittelmeer-MiesmuschelGerman
- MittelmeermiesmuschelGerman
- ΜύδιGreek
- Μεσογειακό ΜύδιGreek
- mejillón rubioSpanish
- mejillón mediterráneoSpanish
- Vahemere rannakarpEstonian
- välimerensinisimpukkaFinnish
- moule de provenceFrench
- Moule de MéditerranéeFrench
- moulé de MéditerranéeFrench
- moule méditerranéenneFrench
- mexillónGalician
- DagnjaCroatian
- cozzaItalian
- Cozza mediterraneaItalian
- CozzeItalian
- mitilo mediterraneoItalian
- muscoloItalian
- peozzoItalian
- ムラサキイガイJapanese
- チレニアイガイJapanese
- ムールガイJapanese
- 지중해담치Korean
- MuscoliLigurian
- Viduržeminė midijaLithuanian
- KrombekmosselDutch
- diepwatermosselDutch
- Mediterrane mosselDutch
- Middellandse ZeemosselDutch
- Middellandse-ZeemosselDutch
- MexilhãoPortuguese
- Черноморская мидияRussian
- slávka čiernomorskáSlovak
- sredozemska klapavicaSlovenian
- Mediteranska klapavicaSlovenian
- midhja e zezëAlbanian
- Akdeniz MidyesiTurkish
- Мідія середземноморськаUkrainian
- PeociVenetian
- PeòcioVenetian
Relatives of the mediterranean mussel
Other species in the same genus Mytilus.
Blue mussel
Mytilus edulis
Foolish mussel
Mytilus trossulus
Common mussel
Mytilus californianus
Chilean mussel
Mytilus chilensis
Far eastern mussel
Mytilus coruscus
Blue mussel
Mytilus planulatus
CompareMediterranean mussel vs Blue musselMediterranean mussel vs Foolish musselMediterranean mussel vs Common musselMediterranean mussel vs Chilean mussel
Common questions
Each answer is written from the sourced facts on this page, and only where they hold the answer.
What kind of animal is the mediterranean mussel?
The mediterranean mussel is a mollusc in the class Bivalvia and the family Mytilidae.
What is the scientific name of the mediterranean mussel?
Its scientific name is Mytilus galloprovincialis, placed in the genus Mytilus.
Who named Mytilus galloprovincialis?
The species was named by Lamarck, 1819.
What other names does the mediterranean mussel have?
Other English names for it are Blue mussel, Padstow mussel, Galician mussel and Mediterranean blue mussel.
Is the mediterranean mussel extinct?
No. The Catalogue of Life lists the mediterranean mussel as living, not extinct.
What order and subfamily does the mediterranean mussel belong to?
It belongs to the order Mytilida and the subfamily Mytilinae, within the superfamily Mytiloidea.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- Catalogue of Life eXtended Release · CC BY 4.0 · 2026-10-16 XR
Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf - Wikimedia Commons · per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed) · 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence). - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).
Embed a card for this animal on your own site
Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.
CreatureData. (2026). Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/mediterranean-mussel
“Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/mediterranean-mussel.
@misc{mediterranean_mussel_2026,
title = {Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/mediterranean-mussel},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}