Modiolus barbatus

Modiolus barbatus, the bearded horse mussel, is a species of "horse mussel", a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Mytilidae, the mussels.^[1]

Modiolus barbatus Temporal range: Pliocene - Recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Fossil shells of Modiolus barbatus from Pliocene of Italy
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Bivalvia
Order:	Mytilida
Family:	Mytilidae
Genus:	Modiolus
Species:	M. barbatus
Binomial name
Modiolus barbatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
Modiola gibbsii Leach, 1815 Modiola mytiloides Locard, 1888 Modiola pterota Locard, 1888 Modiola villlosa Nardo, 1847 Mytilus barbatus Linnaeus, 1758 Mytilus gibbsianus Leach en Gray, 1852 Mytilus incurvatus Pennant, 1777 Mytilus ruber Linnaeus, 1758

The fossil record of this species dates back to the Pliocene (age range: 3.6 to 2.588 million years ago).^[2]

Description

The shell of an adult Modiolus barbatus can be as long as 30–60 millimetres (1.2–2.4 in).^[3][4] The shape is elongated and ovoid or rhomboidal with a curved or obtuse dorsal margin. The outer surface of the shell is dark brown, while the inside of the valves is blue or slightly iridescent gray. These mussles are characterized by a periostracum with long, stiff, flat bristles. They are attached with strong byssus to the underground.^[4]

Distribution and Habitat

This species is present from the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea, on the southern and western coasts of Great Britain and Ireland and along the Atlantic coast of Morocco. It inhabits in large communities on rocks and stones the coastal marine environments at depths of 5 to 110 m.^[3][4]

Human use

The bearded horse mussels are harvested for human consumption from their natural beds, together with Mytilus galloprovincialis.^[3]

Green mussels being cooked in Kerala, India