The Common Shallow-Water Mussels of Trinidad: (Mollusca: Mytilidae)

Abstract

This article depicts one group of bivalve molluscs, the Mytilidae or mussels, and describes eight common species. Although there may be several other species in Trinidad and Tobago which were not investigated, the eight described can be found easily in dense populations in several localities. Furthermore, they all occur in the inter-tidal region and are thus available to the collector without recourse to skin diving or SCUBA. The specimens examined were collected over the past four years by the author and a number of other persons.