Bivalvia | 
Mytilida | 
Mytilidae
			
			
			
				Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range				
				
					Ecology				
				
			
			
				Benthic; depth range 0 - 40 m (Ref. 125441).  Temperate; 7°C - 16°C (Ref. 78191), preferred 12°C (Ref. 107945); 11°S -   58°S, 78°W -   160°E			
			
			
				
			
			
			
				South Pacific, Southern Atlantic, and Antarctic Indian Ocean:  From southern Brazil to Tierra del Fuego in the Atlantic and from Beagle Channel to El Callo, Peru. Also from South Africa to Namibia, Kerguelen and Macquarie Island. Introduced in UK.  Tropical to polar.
			
			
			
			
			
				Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
			
			
				Maturity: Lm ?, range 2 - ? cm Max length : 9.5 cm SHL male/unsexed; (Ref. 109255)			
			
			
						
			
			
			
			
				
					Length information from sampling in the Patagonian shelf.  Collected individuals were 47-63 mm in length (Ref. 78355). Found in shallow subtidal benthic communities of two islands in Saldanha Bay (Ref. 78353) and dominated the sessile fauna of Robben Island at depths beyond 17 m (Ref. 78192).  Found attached to rocky substrates, associated with holdfasts of juvenile brown algae, and may occasionally reach greater depths; may be found isolated in intertidal or forming large banks in eulittoral (Ref. 87801).  It is also found in forests of Macrocystis pyrifera (Ref. 92889).				
			
			
			
			
			
				Life cycle and mating behavior				
					Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae				
			
			
				
					Members of the class Bivalvia are mostly gonochoric, some are protandric hermaphrodites.  Life cycle:  Embryos develop into free-swimming trocophore larvae, succeeded by the bivalve veliger, resembling a miniature clam.				
			
			
			
			
			
				SAUP Database 2006 SAUP Database. www.seaaroundus.org. (Ref. 356)
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
					
						IUCN Red List Status    
						 (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
					
					
					
				
			
			
			
			
				CITES status   (Ref. 108899)
			
			
				
					Not Evaluated				
			
			
			
			
			
			
				
					Not Evaluated				
			
			
			
			
			
				Threat to humans  
			
			
				
									
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
			
				Human uses  
			
			
				Fisheries: commercial			
			
			
				FAO - Aquaculture: production; Fisheries: landings, species profile | FishSource | Sea Around Us			
			
			
			
			
			
Tools
			
			
			
			
				
					More information				
				
					 Trophic EcologyFood items (preys)Diet compositionFood consumptionPredators   PhysiologyOxygen consumption
  Human RelatedStamps, coins, misc.
  
			 
			
			
			
				Internet sources
			
			
			
			
			
				Estimates based on models
			
			
			
									
						Preferred temperature  					
				 (Ref. 
115969): 6.9 - 17.1, mean 11.6 (based on 396 cells).			
 
			
			
			
							
					Resilience  				
				
				
					Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.16-0.42).				
			
			
						
							
				
					
						Fishing Vulnerability  					
					
					
						Low to moderate vulnerability (32 of 100).					
				
						
							
					
						Climate Vulnerability  					
					
					High vulnerability (57 of 100).				
						
			
			
			
				Nutrients  :  Calcium = 149 [71, 228]  mg/100g; Iron = 8.53 [1.95, 15.11]  mg/100g; Protein = 9.88 [8.64, 11.12] %; Omega3 = 0.313 [0.202, 0.423]  g/100g; Selenium = 61 [50, 72]  μg/100g; VitaminA = 0 μg/100g; Zinc = 2.04 [0.56, 3.51]  mg/100g (wet weight); based on 
nutrient studies.