Blue mussel
Mytilus edulis Linnaeus, 1758
Status not recordedmolluscs
The blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) is a mollusc of the class Bivalvia, order Mytilida and family Mytilidae. Its scientific name was given by Linnaeus, 1758, and it is placed in the subfamily Mytilinae and genus Mytilus.
Quick facts about the blue mussel
The blue mussel lives in marine habitats and is a living, not extinct, species according to the Catalogue of Life. Other English names for it are bay mussel, common mussel, common blue mussel and edible blue mussel.
- Weight
- Not recorded
- Length
- Not recorded
- Lifespan
- Not recorded
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- marinesrc for Habitat
- Young per litter or clutch
- Not recorded
- Lifestyle
- Marinesrc for Lifestyle
- Conservation status
- Not recorded
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
Photos of the blue mussel
Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.
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Where does the blue mussel live?
Not recorded
What is the blue mussel?
The blue mussel (Mytilus edulis), also known as the common mussel, is a medium-sized edible marine bivalve mollusc in the family Mytilidae, the only extant family in the order Mytilida, known as "true mussels". Blue mussels are subject to commercial use and intensive aquaculture. A species with a large range, the blue mussel leaves empty shells that are commonly found on beaches around the world.
From the Wikipedia article “Blue mussel” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blue_mussel&oldid=1370698063), 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 blue 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 blue mussel classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumMollusca
- classBivalvia
- orderMytilida
- familyMytilidae
- genusMytilus
- SpeciesMytilus edulis Linnaeus, 1758
Synonyms Mytilus abbreviatus, Mytilus angulatus, Mytilus borealis, Mytilus edilis, Mytilus edulis, Mytilus edulis edulis, Mytilus edulis pusillus, Mytilus elegans, Mytilus grunerianus, Mytilus minganensis, Mytilus notatus, Mytilus notatus, Mytilus pellucidus, Mytilus petasunculinus, Mytilus retusus, Mytilus retusus var. acrocyrta, Mytilus solitarius, Mytilus spathulinus, Mytilus subsaxatilis, Mytilus trigonus, Mytilus ungulatus, Mytilus variabilis, Mytilus vulgaris, Perna ungulina
Other names and names in other languages (33)
- Bay musselEnglish
- Common blue musselEnglish
- Common musselEnglish
- Common musselEnglish
- Edible blue musselEnglish
- بلح البحر الأزرقArabic
- muscloCatalan
- blåmuslingDanish
- Almindelig blåmuslingDanish
- MiesmuschelGerman
- essbare MiesmuschelGerman
- Gemeine MiesmuschelGerman
- Μύδι ΑτλαντικούGreek
- mejillónSpanish
- muskuiluBasque
- moule communFrench
- moule comestibleFrench
- moule communeFrench
- blåskjellNorwegian Bokmål
- mosselDutch
- blauwe mosselDutch
- eetbare mosselDutch
- gewone mosselDutch
- blåskjelNorwegian Nynorsk
- mexilhaoPortuguese
- midiyaRussian
- Мидия съедобнаяRussian
- gárraNorthern Sami
- bohkkáskálžuNorthern Sami
- klapavicaSlovenian
- blåmusslaSwedish
- 紫殼菜蛤Chinese
- 食用殼菜蛤Chinese
Relatives of the blue mussel
Other species in the same genus Mytilus.
Mediterranean mussel
Mytilus galloprovincialis
Foolish mussel
Mytilus trossulus
Common mussel
Mytilus californianus
Chilean mussel
Mytilus chilensis
Far eastern mussel
Mytilus coruscus
Blue mussel
Mytilus planulatus
CompareBlue mussel vs Mediterranean musselBlue mussel vs Foolish musselBlue mussel vs Common musselBlue 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 blue mussel?
The blue mussel is a mollusc. It belongs to the class Bivalvia, order Mytilida and family Mytilidae.
What is the scientific name of the blue mussel?
The scientific name of the blue mussel is Mytilus edulis, in the genus Mytilus.
Who named the blue mussel and when?
The blue mussel was named by Linnaeus, 1758.
What habitat does the blue mussel live in?
The blue mussel lives in marine habitats.
What are other names for the blue mussel?
Other English names for the blue mussel are bay mussel, common mussel, common blue mussel and edible blue mussel.
Is the blue mussel extinct?
No, the blue mussel is a living species, not extinct, according to the Catalogue of Life.
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). Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/mytilus-edulis
“Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/mytilus-edulis.
@misc{mytilus_edulis_2026,
title = {Blue mussel (Mytilus edulis)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/mytilus-edulis},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}