Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Mollusca
--This pylum contains animals with a muscular foot, a shell secreted by a mantle (outer body wall) and often, a radula for  feeding.

Class: Bivalvia
--Bivalves are laterally compressed mollusks with two valves enclosing the body. They lack a radula.

Subclass: Pteriomorpha
--This is a group of epibenthic bivalves which are attached to a substrate via byssus threads or a secreted cement and have an unfused mantle margin.

Order: Mytiloidea
--This group, referred to as the mussels, are anchored by byssal threads and have a reduced anterior adductor muscle.

Family: Mytilidae
--Mytilidae is the sole family in the order Mytiloidea

Genus: Mytilus
--This genus includes mussels with a smooth shell with a few radial ribs and small teeth near the beak.

Species: Mytilus trossulus (Gould )
 

Back to M. trossulus index page

Leah Behrends, 2002.