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Mytilus Temporal range: Jurassic–Present |
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| Mytilus edulis in the intertidal zone in Cornwall, England | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Bivalvia |
| Order: | Ostreoida |
| Family: | Mytilidae |
| Subfamily: | Mytilinae |
| Genus: |
Mytilus Linnaeus, 1758 |
| Type species | |
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Mytilus edulis Linnaeus, 1758 |
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| Species | |
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See text |
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See text
Mytilus is a cosmopolitan genus of medium to large-sized edible, mainly saltwater mussels, marine bivalve molluscs in the family Mytilidae.
Species within the genus Mytilus include:
Mytilus mussels are widely exploited as food and used in marine-culture. For instance, in California, they have been consumed by coastal Native American people for almost 12 000 years.