Habitat 
Depth 
Group 
Role WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
The Mediterranean mussel has a black to bluish or dark brown shell, elongated and distinctly broader at the rear. Its two valves can reach about twelve centimetres. The outline changes with growth and living conditions.
The byssus, a bundle of strong threads, emerges between the valves and attaches the mussel to its support. The mantle, the tissue producing the shell and surrounding the body, often has a purple edge. Shape alone is not always enough to distinguish it from other mussels.
WHERE DOES IT LIVE?
It lives in dense groups on shore rocks, often in wave-exposed water near the surface. It also uses ropes, submerged structures and other mussels’ shells.
Brief air exposure is possible because water is retained between the valves. The risk of drying nevertheless limits the space it can occupy outside the water.
WHAT DOES IT EAT?
It creates a current with microscopic cilia, tiny moving structures, and filters water over its gills. Particles are trapped in mucus, sorted and moved towards the mouth.
It eats phytoplankton, tiny suspended photosynthetic organisms, as well as organic debris. Unsuitable material can be rejected. The gills also provide the exchanges required for breathing.
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