Choromytilus meridionalis

Black mussel
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Bivalvia
Subclass:	Pteriomorphia
Order:	Mytiloida
Family:	Mytilidae
Genus:	Choromytilus
Species:	C. meridionalis
Binomial name
Choromytilus meridionalis Krauss, 1848

Choromytilus meridionalis, the black mussel, is a species of bivalve. It is a marine mollusc in the family Mytilidae.

This species is found only around the southern African coast, from central Namibia to Port Elizabeth, from the low intertidal to about 10m.

This animal grows up to 150 mm in length. It is a shiny black mussel which grows clustered in groups on rocks and in sandy areas. It is narrower and blacker than the Mediterranean mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis, with which it is often confused.

The black mussel is a filter feeder that eats floating scraps of algae and phytoplankton. It is threatened by the invasion of the fast-growing and hardy Mediterranean mussel, which outcompetes it for space.

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