Mytilus chilensis

Mytilus chilensis
Mytilus chilensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Bivalvia
Subclass: Pteriomorphia
Order: Mytiloida
Family: Mytilidae
Genus: Mytilus
Species: Mytilus chilensis
Binomial name
Mytilus chilensis
(Hupé, 1854)

Mytilus chilensis, also called the Chilean mussel[1] or Chilean blue mussel[2] is a type of blue mussel native to the coasts of Chile and the Falkland Islands.

Contents

Aquaculture

The chilean mussel is under intensive aquaculture in Chile. From 2004 to 2008 the annual commercial harvest increased from 80,000 to 200,000 tonnes.[3] Following a decrease n 2009, the production was back at high level in 2010.[4] Over 45,000 tonnes of mussels were exported in 2008, 93 % of them frozen. Some 74 % of exports are to the EU, primarily Spain and France, and 15 % to the United States.[3]

Systematics

The Chilean mussel is part of the world-wide Mytilus edulis complex of mussels, and its taxonomic relationship to other, Northern Hemisphere smooth-shelled blue mussels has been unclear. Genetic studies of nuclear markers suggested that it shares features of the Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and the North Atlantic Mytilus edulis, but is closer to the former. The Chilean mussel could therefore rather be considered to be M. galloprovincialis, or its subspecies, Mytilus galloprovincialis chilensis.[2][5]

See also

  • List of marine molluscs of Chile

References

  1. ^ Mytilus chilensis (Hupé, 1854) Sealifebase.org
  2. ^ a b Toro, Jorge E.; Ojeda, Johana A.; Vergara, Ana M.; Castro, Grace C.; Alcapan, Angelica C. (December 1, 2005). "Molecular characterization of the Chilean blue mussel (Mytilus chilensis Hupe 1854) demonstrates evidence for the occurrence of Mytilus galloprovincialis in southern Chile.". Journal of Shellfish Research. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-149316657.html. Retrieved 2009-01-22. 
  3. ^ a b Ríos, J.L. (2010):Mussels - May 2010, Chile Globefish.org.
  4. ^ Bivalves, February 2011 Globefish.org
  5. ^ Carcamo, C., Comensana, A.S., Winkler, F.M., Sanjuan, A. (2005). "Allozyme identification of mussels (Bivalvia:Mytilus) on the Pacific coast of South America". Journalof Shellfish Research 24: 1101–1115. http://www.scribd.com/doc/36134942/Mussels-Mytilus-in-Chile-2005. Retrieved 2011-04-08. 
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