California mussel [SEP] parent taxon
California mussel
The California mussel ("Mytilus californianus") is a large edible mussel, a marine bivalve mollusk in the family Mytilidae.
This species is native to the west coast of North America, occurring from northern Mexico to the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. California mussels are found clustered together, often in very large aggregations, on rocks in the upper intertidal zone on the open coast, where they are exposed to the strong action of the surf.
Shell description.
The shell of this species is thick
extinct in 1996 but found again in 1999.
- Greater Bermuda land snail ("Poecilozonites bermudensis"), last recorded sighting made in the early 1970s, survey in 1988 and studies in 2000, 2002, and 2004 seemed to confirm extinction, rediscovered in City of Hamilton alleyway in 2014.
- "Elliptio nigella" (recovery pearly mussel)
Discussions.
Because the definition of a Lazarus taxon is ambiguous, some like R. B. Rickards, do not agree with the existence of a Lazarus taxon.