Invertebrate animal (mollusk) with two-valved shells hinged on one side, a small head, and a compressed body; they attach themselves to a surface with "byssal threads."
Rocks or wharf pilings in salt water
Filter detritus, algae, protozoans, small crustaceans, insect larvae from the water
Snails, sea stars, certain fish, diving ducks, emperor geese, shorebirds, sea otters, humans
Mussels are edible.
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