Mussels

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Latin name:  Mytilus edulis

Size:  Can grow up to 80mm in length

Distribution:  Found around most of the UK coastline

Months seen:  All year round

Life span:  Up to 15 years

Habitat:  Coasts and estuaries

Food:  Microscopic plants and animals such as plankton

Special features:  Mussels have a deep blue-purple coloured, fan shaped shell, which is a pearly white on the inside.  They are filter feeders, and a fully grown mussel pumps around 60 litres of water through its body each day in order to extract the required amount of food it needs to survive.

The mussels around the UK coast have been harvested as a food source for hundreds of years and are recognised as a rich source of protein.

Related Pages

• UK Safari Marine Wildlife Section
• What's Out Now?