Species: Mytilus trossulus
Foolish Mussel
Species
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Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Articles:
State agencies tracking pollution levels in Puget Sound have discovered traces of oxycodone in the tissues of native bay mussels (Mytilus trossulus) from Seattle and Bremerton area harbors. The findings were presented at the 2018 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference in Seattle.
![Bay Mussels (Mytilus trossulus) on Edmonds Ferry Dock. Photo [cropped]: brewbooks (CC BY-SA 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/brewbooks/8840874065 Bay Mussels (Mytilus trossulus) on Edmonds Ferry Dock.](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/topical_article/images/8840874065_da3b29ce56_crop_1200_0.jpg?itok=KFz65RRp)
Scientists are testing ways to use transplanted shellfish such as mussels to monitor toxic contaminants in Puget Sound.
![Bay Mussels (Mytilus trossulus) on Edmonds Ferry Dock. Photo [cropped]: brewbooks (CC BY-SA 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/brewbooks/8840874065 Bay Mussels (Mytilus trossulus) on Edmonds Ferry Dock. Photo [cropped]: brewbooks (CC BY-SA 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/brewbooks/8840874065](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/topical_article/images/8840874065_da3b29ce56_crop_1200.jpg?itok=tqv_zsV8)
A January 2014 USGS report discusses approaches for measuring the effect of bivalves on nutrient availability in different regions of Puget Sound.

Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Mollusca
Class
Bivalvia
Order
Mytiloida
Family
Mytilidae
Genus
Mytilus
NatureServe
Classification
Informal Taxonomy
Animals, Invertebrates - Mollusks - Other Mollusks
Formal Taxonomy
Animalia - Mollusca - Bivalvia - Mytiloida - Mytilidae - Mytilus
Conservation Status
NatureServe Global Status Rank
G5
Global Status Last Reviewed
2005-03-21
Global Status Last Changed
2005-03-21
Distribution
Conservation Status Map
<img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?US.WA=SNR" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />