The Mytilidae are a family of small to large marine and brackish-water bivalve molluscs in the order Mytilida. One of the genera, Limnoperna, inhabits freshwater environments. Mytilidae, which contains some 52 genera, is the only extant family within the order Mytilida.
Species in the family Mytilidae are found worldwide, but they are more abundant in colder seas, where they often form uninterrupted beds on rocky shores in the intertidal zone and the shallow subtidal. The subfamily Bathymodiolinae is found in deep-sea habitats.
Mytilids include the well-known, edible sea mussels.
A common feature of the shells of mussels is an asymmetrical shell, which has a thick, adherent periostracum. The animals attach themselves to a solid substrate using a byssus.
A 2020 study of the phylogeny of the Mytilidae recovered two main clades derived from an epifaunal ancestor, with subsequent lineages shifting to other lifestyles, and correlating convergent evolution of siphon traits.
Subfamilies and genera
, the World Register of Marine Species accepts 32 genera split into eight subfamilies.
Subfamily Brachidontinae Brachidontes Swainson, 1840 Geukensia Van de Poel, 1959 Ischadium Jukes-Browne, 1905 Mytilaster Monterosato, 1883
Subfamily Crenellinae †Arcoperna Conrad, 1865 Arcuatula Jousseaume, 1919 Arvella Scarlato, 1960 Choromytilus T. Soot-Ryen, 1952 Crenella T. Brown, 1827 Exosiperna Iredale, 1929 Musculus Röding, 1798 Mytella T. Soot-Ryen, 1955 Parabrachidontes K. S. Tan, S. H. M. Tan, Sanpanich, Duangdee & Ambarwati, 2024 Perna Philipsson, 1788 Rhomboidella Monterosato, 1884 †Semimodiola Cossmann, 1887 Solamen Iredale, 1924 Vilasina Scarlato, 1960
Subfamily Dacrydiinae Dacrydium Torell, 1859
Subfamily Lithophaginae Lithophaga Röding, 1798
Subfamily Mytilinae Adula H. Adams & A. Adams, 1857 Crenomytilus T. Soot-Ryen, 1955 Dentimodiolus Iredale, 1939 Gregariella Monterosato, 1883 Mytilus Linnaeus, 1758 †Praemytilus F. W. Anderson & L. R. Cox, 1948 Trichomya Ihering, 1900
Subfamily Mytiliseptinae Austromytilus Laseron, 1956 Mytilisepta T. Habe, 1951 Perumytilus Olsson, 1961 Semimytilus T. Soot-Ryen, 1955
Subfamily Septiferinae Septifer Récluz, 1848
†Subfamily Xenomytilinae †Lycettia L. R. Cox, 1937 †Xenomytilus Squires & Saul, 2006
Incertae sedis †Admytilus Berezovsky, 2015 Amygdalum Megerle von Mühlfeld, 1811 †Arcomytilus Agassiz, 1842 †Assytilus Berezovsky, 2015 Aulacomya Mörch, 1853 †Cuneolus Stephenson, 1941 †Inoperna Conrad, 1873 †Limnolycettia C. M. Kolesnikov, 1980 †Mauricia G. D. Harris, 1919 †Mysidioptera Salomon, 1895 †Mytilosootus Stilwell & Zinsmeister, 1992 †Paramusculus Kadolsky, 1989 †Promytilus Newell, 1942 †Regulifer Fürsich & Werner, 1988 †Rhynchomytilus Rollier, 1914 †Samiolus Kiel & Taviani, 2017 Urumella Hayami & Kase, 1993 †Volsellina Newell, 1942
References
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