BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WOODS HOLE AND VICINITY. 
Family Mytilid^. 
Mytilus edulis Linnaeus. Common sea mussel. 
[Chart 127.] 
Gould, 1870, p. 183; Verrill and Smith, 1873, pp. 
692, 307, etc.; Dali, 1889, p. 38; Field, 1911, 
p. 87. 
Shells abundant and universally distributed in 
Vineyard Sound, at 1 to 19 fathoms; in Buz- 
zards Bay, less frequent and restricted to the 
southern portions. During the Survey dredg- 
ing living mussels were chiefly taken in the 
western half of the Sound, where they were 
occasionally brought up by the bushel. Ex- 
tensive mussel beds occur locally in shallow 
waters near shore, and the species is also fre- 
quently abundant on piles. In early life they 
become attached to almost any solid object, 
and two living specimens were taken from the 
gill chamber of a lobster. Owing to causes 
which are not always obvious, great mussel 
beds may be completely exterminated within 
a limited period, leaving deposits of shells. 
Thus several localities where mussels were 
extremely abundant during the summer of 
1903 were redredged in 1908, but only shells 
and fragments were taken. 
Fish Hawk stations: 7521 (few shells), 7521 bis 
(fragments), 7525 bis (fragments and a few 
whole shells), 7533 (several), 7533 bis (several 
shells), 7 S3S (many), 7536 (numerous), 7536 
bis (many fragments), 7539 bis (1 shell), 7340 
(fragment), 7541 (several shells), 7541 bis 
(many shells), 7542 (1 shell), 7542 bis (few 
shells), 7543 (fragments), 7545 (many large 
fragments), 7545 bis (many fragments), 7546 
bis (many fragments), 7547 bis (abundant), 
7548 (large fragment), 7550 (many), 7550 
bis (few shells and fragments), 7551 (liv- 
ing), 7551 bis (1 bushel, living), 7552 (many 
fragments), 7552 bis (few shells), 7553 (shells, 
forming large part of contents of dredge), 
7553 Ms (many shells), 7555 (several bush- 
els, living), 7556 (tons, living), 7556 bis 
(many shells), 7557 (few shells), 7558 (frag- 
ments and shells abundant, constituting 
greater part of catch), 7559 (few), 7560 (few 
shells), 7561 (many), 7562 (many fragments), 
7562 bis (few fragments), 7563 (many shells), 
7563 bis (few fragments), 7564 (many, consti- 
tuting greater part of catch), 7564 bis (very 
manyshells), 756s(many), 7565bis(fragments), 
7566 (many living), 7567 (few shells), 7568 
(fragments), 7569 (few fragments), 7569 bis 
(few fragments), 7570 (many living), 7571 
(several bushels, many living), 7572 (many 
68l 
Mytilus edulis — Continued. 
shells), 7573 (bushels, living), 7574 (many 
shells and living), 7575 (fragments), 7576 
(fragments), 7577 (few shells), 7578 (many 
living), 7579 (few shells), 7581 (several shells), 
7582 (several shells), 7583 (few shells), 7584 
(few shells), 7585 (few shells,) 7587 (1 shell), 
7588 (few shells), 7591 (many shells), 7592 
(many living and shells), 7593 (many shells), 
7594 (many shells), 7595 (many living), 7596 
(many), 7597 (few shells), 7598 (few shells), 
7599 (many), 7600 (few shells), 7602 (few 
shells), 7603 (x shell), 7604 (1 shell), 7610 (frag- 
ments), 7636 (few shells), 7638 (several shells), 
7639 (several shells), 7653 (few small), 7656 
(several large and small shells), 7660 (1 shell), 
7661 (1 shell), 7664 (few shells), 7665 (several 
shells), 7667 (shells and living), 7668 (few 
shells), 7670 (many living and shells), 7672 (1 
shell), 7673 (1 shell), 7674 (very few shells), 
7675 (few shells), 7677, 7678 (many shells), 7679 
(large and small living), 7680 (very abundant, 
small living), 7681 (many small living and 
large shells), 7682 (many large and small 
shells), 7683 (1 fragment), 7685 (many small 
living), 7693 (several young and living), 7695 
(fragments), 7696 (shells and fragments), 7697 
(many shells), 7698 (few small living and frag- 
ments), 7699 (fragments and living), 7700 
(many fragments), 7701 (many fragments), 
7702 (many fragments), 7703 (many fragments 
and living), 7704 (fragments), 7705 (few frag- 
ments), 7706 (few shell fragments), 7707 (many 
living and shells), 7708 (few shells), 7709 (frag- 
ments), 7717 (few fragments), 7718 (many 
shells), 7719 (many shells), 7720 (fragments 
and very many small living), 7721 (very many 
living and shells), 7722 (fragments and very 
many small living), 7723 (1 small shell), 7724 
(several living), 7725 (few small living), 7726 
(few shells and fragments), 7727 (2), 7729 (1 
small shell), 7730 (1 living), 7731 (many frag- 
ments and small living), 7732 (many living), 
7733 (many living and shells), 7734 (very many 
shells and fragments), 7735 (many shells), 7736 
(many shells), 7737 (few fragments), 7738 (sev- 
eral small living), 7739 (few shells and frag- 
ments), 7740 (many shells), 7741 (manyshells), 
7744 (many fragments), 7745 (few fragments), 
7752 (few fragments), 7769 (1 large shell), 7771 
(1 shell fragment), 7772 (1 shell fragment), 7773 
(1 shell fragment), 7776 (very many shells and 
fragments), 7779 (few fragments), 7780 (few 
shells), 7783 (very many shells). 
Phalarope and Blue Wing stations: 1 (1 shell), 4 
(few shells), 16 (several shells), 22 (shells 
