- Mytilopsis leucophaeata
-
Mytilopsis leucophaeata Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Mollusca Class: Bivalvia Order: Veneroida Family: Dreissenidae Genus: Mytilopsis Species: M. leucophaeata Binomial name Mytilopsis leucophaeata
(Conrad, 1831)Mytilopsis leucophaeata, common name "Conrad's false mussel" or "Dark false mussel", is a species of small bivalve mollusc in the family Dreissenidae, the false mussels.
Contents
Identification
It can look very similar to the zebra mussel, with similar stripes, but it can be distinguished from it by a apophysis or projection on the inside of the shell near the umbo [1]. Shell length ranges between <1 and 2 cm, with an average length of 1 cm. [2]
Distribution
This species originated in the Gulf of Mexico[3], and spread from there via ballast water to the Hudson River in the 1930's[4], and presumably from there to other estuaries in the eastern US including Chesapeake Bay[5]. This species also spread via ballast water to brackish waters in Europe, including the Baltic Sea and the Wadden Sea[6].
Like the zebra mussel, this species is a significant biofouling pest in many countries, especially where it has been introduced in Europe.
Habitat
Mytilopsis leucophaeata is found in brackish water, at salinities ranging from 0.5 psu to about 12 psu, although its upper salinity limit is usually about 5-6 psu. It attaches to hard substrates, including oyster and true mussel shells and cages for them, rocks, boats, and pilings, and also to ropes.[7]
References
- ^ Swedish fact sheet, in English [1]
- ^ US Army Corps of Engineers information on this as a pest species[2]
- ^ Therriault et al. 2004. Molecular resolution of the family Dreissenidae (Mollusca: Bivalvia) with emphasis on Ponto-Caspian species, including first report of Mytilopsis leucophaeata in the Black Sea basin. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 30 (2004) 479–489. [3]
- ^ Walton, W. C. 1996. Occurrence of Zebra Mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) in the Oligohaline Hudson River, New York. Estuaries 19: 612-618. [4]
- ^ Occurrence of this species in Chesapeake Bay and their role in filtration [5]
- ^ Distribution from Global Invasive Species database [6]
- ^ Entry in Global Invasive Species database [7]
External links
- World Register of Marine Species [8]
- European Network on Invasive Alien Species [9]
- Dark false mussels in the Netherlands [10]
- USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species web page; US range map is incomplete [11]
This bivalve-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
