World Register of Introduced Marine Species (WRiMS)

WRiMS taxon details

Mytilus Linnaeus, 1758

AphiaID

138228 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:138228)

Classification

Status

accepted

Rank

Genus

Type taxon

Mytilus edulis Linnaeus, 1758 (type by subsequent designation)

Type taxon of

Mytilidae Rafinesque, 1815
Mytilinae Rafinesque, 1815

Parent

Mytilinae Rafinesque, 1815

Original name

Mytilus Linnaeus, 1758

Direct children (9)

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Species Mytilus chilensis Hupé, 1854
Species Mytilus edulis Linnaeus, 1758
Species Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819
Species Mytilus platensis A. d'Orbigny, 1846
Species Mytilus trossulus A. A. Gould, 1850
Species Mytilus africanus Chemnitz, 1785 accepted as Perna perna (Linnaeus, 1758) (unavailable name, published in a work rejected by ICZN Direction 1)
Species Mytilus irisans Jousseaume, 1888 accepted as Perna perna (Linnaeus, 1758)
Species Mytilus perna (Linnaeus, 1758) accepted as Perna perna (Linnaeus, 1758)
Species Mytilus pharaonis P. Fischer, 1870 accepted as Brachidontes pharaonis (P. Fischer, 1870) (original combination)

Environment

marine

Fossil range

recent + fossil

Original description

Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp. , available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886
page(s): 645, 704 [details] Available for editors

Taxonomic citation

MolluscaBase eds. (2025). MolluscaBase. Mytilus Linnaeus, 1758. Accessed through: Costello, M. J.; Ahyong, S.; Bieler, R.; Boudouresque, C.; Desiderato, A.; Downey, R.; Galil, B. S.; Gollasch, S.; Hutchings, P.; Kamburska, L.; Katsanevakis, S.; Kupriyanova, E.; Lejeusne, C.; Ma, K. C. K.; Marchini, A.; Occhipinti, A.; Pagad, S.; Pino, L.; Poore, G. C. B.; Rewicz, T.; Rius, M.; Robinson, T. B.; Sobczyk, R.; Stepien, A.; Turon, X.; Valls Domedel, G.; Verleye, T.; Vieira, L. M.; Willan, R. C.; Zhan, A. (2025) World Register of Introduced Marine Species (WRiMS) at: https://marinespecies.org/introduced/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=138228 on 2026-06-23

Thematic species database citation

Costello, M. J.; Ahyong, S.; Bieler, R.; Boudouresque, C.; Desiderato, A.; Downey, R.; Galil, B. S.; Gollasch, S.; Hutchings, P.; Kamburska, L.; Katsanevakis, S.; Kupriyanova, E.; Lejeusne, C.; Ma, K. C. K.; Marchini, A.; Occhipinti, A.; Pagad, S.; Pino, L.; Poore, G. C. B.; Rewicz, T.; Rius, M.; Robinson, T. B.; Sobczyk, R.; Stępień, A.; Turon, X.; Valls Domedel, G.; Verleye, T.; Vieira, L. M.; Willan, R. C.; Zhan, A. (2026). World Register of Introduced Marine Species (WRiMS). Mytilus Linnaeus, 1758. Accessed at: https://www.marinespecies.org/introduced/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=138228 on 2026-06-23

Taxonomic edit history

Date

action

2004-12-21 15:54:05Z

created

Gofas, Serge

2012-06-22 14:07:56Z

changed

Bouchet, Philippe

2018-03-23 21:34:07Z

changed

Gofas, Serge

2018-09-01 07:44:44Z

changed

Vinarski, Maxim

[taxonomic tree] [clear cache]

original description Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp. , available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886
page(s): 645, 704 [details] Available for editors

basis of record Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca. in: Costello, M.J. et al. (eds), European Register of Marine Species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Patrimoines Naturels. 50: 180-213., available online at http://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/ocrd/254404.pdf [details]

additional source Soot-Ryen T. (1955). A report on the family Mytilidae. Allan Hancock Pacific Expeditions. 20(1): 1-154 pls 1-20., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/27912345 [details] Available for editors

additional source Gosling E. (editor) (1992). The mussel Mytilus: ecology, physiology, genetics and culture. * Developments in Aquaculture and Fisheries Science, 25. Elsevier, Amsterdam. xiii + 589 pp.: [details]

additional source Seed R. (1992). Systematics evolution and distribution of mussels belonging to the genus Mytilus: an overview. American Malacological Bulletin. 9(2): 123-137., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/45931307 [details]

redescription Coan, E. V.; Valentich-Scott, P. (2012). Bivalve seashells of tropical West America. Marine bivalve mollusks from Baja California to northern Peru. 2 vols, 1258 pp. [details]