California Mussel

Not evaluated.
Categories and criteria of the IUCN Red List:

Mussel beds trap water, mud and matter that offer food and shelter to an incredible variety of animals and plants.

Mussels can be dangerous for human consumption when there are harmful or excessive algae growth, such as red tides. They act as filters, and feed on dinoflagellates that form these tides and that can produce toxins.

Its shell is of a bluish-black color, often with white eroded valves and darker on its edges. The shell is pointy at its back-end.

It lives on rocks that are exposed to waves, and on dock pilings. It´s abundant in the surf zone.

It feeds itself by filtering water while trapping organic matter and plankton.