Description ³

Geukensia demissa is a member of the family Mytilidae. The surface of the shell is grooved or ribbed and oval in shape. The ribbed mussel has a narrow blunt pointed head that is attached to submerged substrata. Shells are usually glossy appearing olive-brown to brown-black with some yellow to a white on the outside and white on the interior with purplish tints.

Distribution ⁴

Gulf of St. Lawrence (unspecified region), northern Gaspe waters, southern Gaspe waters (Baie des Chaleurs, Gaspe Bay to American, Orphan and Bradelle banks; eastern boundary: eastern Bradelle Valley); Prince Edward Island (from the northern tip of Miscou Island, N.B. to Cape Breton Island south of Cheticamp, including the Northumberland Strait and Georges Bay to the Canso Strait causeway); Cobscook Bay

Economic importance for humans: positive ⁵

These mussels help maintain saltmarshes, which are important nurseries for food fish and shellfish. Ribbed mussels can also be very useful bioindicators for pollution assessment studies.

The mussel is also an important prey species for desirable shellfish and bird species.

Ribbed mussels are edible, but are generally not considered to taste good. They can accumulate toxins from their environment, especially while exposed at low tide, and so should not be harvested then.

Positive Impacts: research and education

In Lake Merritt ⁶

This mussel lines the stone walls along the north edge of the lake.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Casey Dunn, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/12455333@N00/6195864262/
2. (c) Chris Brown, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Chris Brown
3. Adapted by Ken-ichi Ueda from a work by (c) Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/11526165
4. Adapted by Ken-ichi Ueda from a work by (c) WoRMS for SMEBD, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/27513583
5. Adapted by Ken-ichi Ueda from a work by (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18649433
6. (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• CalPhotos
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• SeaLifeBase
• World Register of Marine Species

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