![900x600-blue-mussel-NOAA-Shutterstock.jpg](/s3/styles/full_width/s3/dam-migration/900x600-blue-mussel-noaa-shutterstock.jpg?itok=qkqOpGMs)
Blue mussel. Credit: Shutterstock
About the Species
![900x600-blue-mussel-NOAA-Shutterstock.jpg](/s3/styles/full_width/s3/dam-migration/900x600-blue-mussel-noaa-shutterstock.jpg?itok=qkqOpGMs)
Blue mussel. Credit: Shutterstock
Blue mussels are economically and environmentally important filter-feeding bivalves. They are commonly harvested for food throughout the world, from both wild and farmed sources.
Appearance
- Range from 2 to 4 inches at maturity, though can grow up to 8 inches.
- The shell is black, blue-black or brown, teardrop shaped, and has concentric lines marking the outside; the inner shell is white.
- The ‘beard’ is the byssal threads allowing the mussel to attach to substrate.
Biology
- Are of the shellfish family. Like oysters, clams, and scallops, blue mussel are bivalve mollusks and have a hinged shell.
- Adults are sessile—they stay in one place—and inhabit both intertidal and subtidal areas.
- Have fast growth rates and high reproduction rates.
- First mature as males, then later develop female reproductive capabilities.
- Each female can produce between 50 and 200 million eggs during a spawning event.
Scientific Classification
Kingdom | Animalia | Phylum | Mollusca | Class | Bivalvia | Order | Mytilida | Family | Mytilidae | Genus | Mytilus | Species | edulis |
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Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 05/21/2024
Featured News
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![Oysters being farmed by Alaska Shellfish Farms in Kachemak Bay, Alaska.](/s3/styles/inline_field_thumbnail/s3/2024-02/750x500-AKR-KBay-oyster-farm.png?h=2879236c&itok=z3NxhAky)
![Two women lean over to examine how one of the women is holding a yardstick in a stream as other people look on. Credit: Virginia Commonwealth University.](/s3/styles/inline_field_thumbnail/s3/2023-07/BWETProDevCreditVCUforHabitatNews.jpg?h=4482e33c&itok=3IfWOSIM)
![NOAA Aquaculture Strategic Plan (2022) report cover. A montage of aquaculture photos: Kampachi swimming, Ulva on oyster bags, Alakoko Fishpond (Hawai’i), net pen aquaculture, oyster farmers at work, raw oysters, mussel longlines, a hand holding bay scallops, and hard shell clams.](/s3/styles/inline_field_thumbnail/s3/2022-10/noaa-aquaculture-strategic-plan-2023-2028-feature-image.png?h=d722101d&itok=sBrGarIJ)
Seafood Facts
![Fishwatch Logo](/themes/custom/noaa_components/images/fishwatch_horizontal.png)
Are Blue Mussels Sustainable?
U.S. farmed blue mussels are a smart seafood choice because they are sustainably grown and harvested under U.S. state and federal regulations.
![Environmental Impact Icon](/themes/custom/noaa_components/images/fishwatch-seafood-icon.png)
Availability
Available year-round.
![Feeds Icon](/themes/custom/noaa_components/images/fishwatch-seafood-icon.png)
Source
Tidal areas or offshore, mostly in New England, Washington, and California.
![Farming Methods Icon](/themes/custom/noaa_components/images/fishwatch-seafood-icon.png)
Taste
Tender meat and sweet flavor.
![Human Health Icon](/themes/custom/noaa_components/images/fishwatch-seafood-icon.png)
Health Benefits
Mussels are low in saturated fat and excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1; Serving Weight: n/a; Calories: 86; Protein: 11.9 g; Total Fat: 2.24 g; Total Saturated Fatty Acids: 0.4 g; Carbohydrate: 0 g; Total Sugars: 0 g; Total Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Cholesterol: 28 mg; Sodium: 286 mgLast updated by NOAA Fisheries on 05/21/2024
Seafood News
![A woman smiling at her brother as he drives a boat.](/s3/styles/inline_field_thumbnail/s3/2024-04/Oystering-21.jpg?h=199d8c1f&itok=-2ezNDYN)
![On a hill looking out to two bodies of water and snowy mountains in the distance](/s3/styles/inline_field_thumbnail/s3/2024-04/750x500-dutch-harbor-hillman-afsc.jpg?h=9e499333&itok=gH-F2SI9)
![Volunteers build an oyster reef from recycled oyster shells (Photo: Galveston Bay Foundation)](/s3/styles/inline_field_thumbnail/s3/2024-03/2000x1333-OysterRecycling-GBF-3.jpg?h=0838062f&itok=4I_NxEgn)
Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 05/21/2024
Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 05/21/2024
In the Spotlight
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Eros in cursus turpis massa. Non tellus orci ac auctor. Facilisis leo vel fringilla est ullamcorper eget. Nibh venenatis cras sed felis eget velit aliquet sagittis id. Lacus vestibulum sed arcu non odio euismod lacinia. Aliquet eget sit amet tellus cras adipiscing enim. Metus dictum at tempor commodo ullamcorper a lacus. Faucibus et molestie ac feugiat sed lectus vestibulum mattis ullamcorper. Convallis convallis tellus id interdum velit laoreet id. Risus sed vulputate odio ut enim blandit volutpat maecenas volutpat. Dictum sit amet justo donec. Viverra adipiscing at in tellus integer feugiat. Eget magna fermentum iaculis eu non diam phasellus vestibulum lorem. Ut etiam sit amet nisl purus in.
Tellus orci ac auctor augue mauris augue neque gravida in. Diam sit amet nisl suscipit adipiscing. Id ornare arcu odio ut sem. Id cursus metus aliquam eleifend mi in nulla posuere. Enim sit amet venenatis urna cursus eget. Facilisi morbi tempus iaculis urna. Quam id leo in vitae turpis massa sed. Id neque aliquam vestibulum morbi blandit. Ut venenatis tellus in metus vulputate eu scelerisque. Urna duis convallis convallis tellus id interdum. Euismod nisi porta lorem mollis aliquam ut porttitor leo a.
![Three women taking samples of mussels held in a specialized metal rack used for in-water experiments](/s3/styles/media_750_x500/s3/2020-09/750X500-blue-mussel-experiment-NEFSC_0.jpg?itok=DEozuGin)
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Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 05/21/2024
Aquaculture
U.S. farmed blue mussels are a smart seafood choice because they are sustainably grown and harvested under U.S. state and federal regulations.
![Environmental Impact Icon](/themes/custom/noaa_components/images/species--environmental-impact.png)
Environmental Impact
Mussels provide net environmental benefits by removing excess nutrients and improving water quality.
![Feeds Icon](/themes/custom/noaa_components/images/species--feeds.png)
Feeds
Growing mussels requires no feed–they filter phytoplankton directly from the water column.
![Farming Methods Icon](/themes/custom/noaa_components/images/species--farming-methods.png)
Farming Methods
Mussels can be grown in tidal areas or the open ocean. They can be grown directly on the beach bottom or suspended in the water column.
![Human Health Icon](/themes/custom/noaa_components/images/species--human-health.png)
Human Health
Shellfish toxins and bacteria occur naturally in the environment and can cause food-borne illnesses. State and federal regulations require monitoring of farmed mussels to ensure they are safe to eat.
Management
- Permitting for shellfish aquaculture is governed by federal, state, and local governments.
- The federal agencies involved are NOAA, the Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Food and Drug Administration, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and the Coast Guard.
- Information on shellfish aquaculture permitting can be found in the Shellfish Growers Guide (PDF, 10 pages).
- A variety of shellfish aquaculture tools, including maps and models, are available to coastal managers.
- All fisheries and aquaculture farms in federal waters must adhere to federal regulations including those in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation & Management Act, the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Farming Methods
- Farmers collect larval mussels (spat) from wild populations.
- Mature mussel grow-out:
- On-bottom – mussels are seeded on sea bottom to form beds.
- Off-bottom – mussels are grown in the water column using longline (rope), raft or bouchot methods (on ropes wrapped around marine pilings or poles).
Production
- In 2016, the United States produced 894,000 pounds of mussels valued at $10.48 million.
Environmental Considerations
- Habitat:
- Mussel farming has a benign ecological footprint, with little disturbance of sediments or aquatic vegetation during grow-out.
- Some mussel harvesting methods involve dredging, but long-term effects on the environment are rare.
- Feeds:
- Mussels do not need to be fed because they filter their food from the water column.
Ecosystem Services
- Water quality improvements:
- Mussels are filter-feeders, removing algae, organic matter and excess nutrients from the water column as they grow and improving water quality.
- When mussels are harvested, excess nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, are removed from the ecosystem.
- Providing habitat:
- Mussels and the gear used to farm them provide habitat for marine organisms.
- Mussel beds stabilize coastal sediments and help minimize impacts from storm surges.
Human Health
- Shellfish toxins:
- Shellfish poisoning is an illness that can occur from eating contaminated shellfish.
- Shellfish can assimilate the toxins that cause shellfish poisoning from the algae on which they feed.
- Early warning systems exist to detect harmful algal blooms that produce toxins.
- New technologies, such as the Environmental Sample Processor, provide near real-time detection of harmful algal species.
- For more information on the prevention and monitoring of harmful algal blooms, read about NOAA's Harmful Algal Bloom forecasting program.
- Pathogenic bacteria:
- The bacteria Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp) and Vibrio vulnificus (Vv) occur naturally in the environment and can cause food-borne illness from consuming raw shellfish.
- Ingestion of undercooked or raw shellfish with Vp or Vv can lead to gastrointestinal illness.
- Public health officials monitor shellfish from growing areas to ensure they are safe to eat.
More Information
Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 05/21/2024
Science Overview
- Growth and reproduction:
- The Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Milford Lab is conducting research on the ability of mussels to improve coastal water quality.
- NOAA, New Hampshire Sea Grant, and the University of New Hampshire worked with the Portsmouth Commercial Fisherman’s Association to show that growing mussels alongside steelhead trout and sugar kelp results in net water quality improvement.
- Ocean acidification:
- Acidification causes a number of changes in water chemistry that may be stressful to shellfish.
- Ocean acidification and its impacts on shellfish are being investigated by NOAA and other labs. For more information, visit NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program.
More Information
Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 05/21/2024
Documents
Alaska Mariculture Workshop Summary Report
Summary of a multi-day aquaculture workshop with more than 60 mariculture development stakeholders…
Research
Test Generic Blue Mussel Research
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Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 05/21/2024