NO. 1 SOOT-RYEN: THE FAMILY MYTILIDAE 31 



Species belonging to Choromytilus are so far reported from the Amer- 

 ican west coast from the Gulf of California south to the Strait of Magel- 

 lan ; South Africa, and the Kerguelen Islands. 

 Key to the west American species : 



Shell regular, not inflated, anterior retractor 



oval, before the middle of the ligament chorus (Molina) 



Shell irregular, inflated, anterior retractor 



large, reaching forward from behind the middle 



of the ligament palliopunctatus 



(Carpenter) 



Choromytilus chorus (Molina) 1782 

 Plate 2, figs. 7-8; text-fig. 5 



Mytilus chorus Molina, Saggio sulla Storia Naturale del Chili, 1782, p. 



202. 

 Syn.: Mytilus alius Molina 1782. 



Mytilus latus Lamarck 1819, non Linne 1758. 

 Mytilus ungulatus Lamarck 1819, non Linne 1758. 

 Holotype: ? 

 Type loc: Chile. 



Remarks: Molina (1782) says that this species can reach a length of 

 seven inches and a height of 3.5 inches. It is stated to be good eating and 

 the distribution is given as from Isla Quinquina to the coast of the Golfo 

 de Arauco. 



This species has often been confounded with Mytilus edulis chilensis 

 Hupe. The figure of the inside of the shell shows the essential characters 

 separating this species from all other related forms. 

 Occurrence: Very little is known of the habitat of this species. It is com- 

 monly used for food in Chile, but apparently the fishermen have to use 

 some special gear to catch it, as no records indicate an intertidal occur- 

 rence. 

 Distribution: Pacasmayo, Peru, south to Orange Bay, Tierra del Fuego. 



Choromytilus palliopunctatus (Carpenter) 1855 

 Plate 1, fig. 5 ; text-figs. 4, 13 



Mytilus palliopunctatus Carpenter, Catalogue of the Reigen Collection 



of Mazatlan Mollusca, 1855, p. 118. 

 Holotype: British Museum. 

 Type loc: Mazatlan, Mexico. 



