📸 PhotoPhoto: Gould, 1861 · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons Source
Far Eastern mussel
Mytilus coruscus (Far Eastern mussel · イガイ)
Not Evaluated (NE) on the IUCN Red List yet.
💡 Everyday Comparisons for Size, Mass & Speed
- 💡 Its length of 15–20 cm is between half and 2/3 of the long side of an A4 sheet of paper (29.7 cm) (Comparison).
- 💡 It is a species that is both harvested commercially and farmed in aquaculture (SeaLifeBase).
Reference standards: coach bus ~12 m, mid-size car ~4.9 m, compact car ~1 t, basketball hoop 3.05 m, credit card 8.56 cm.
📖 1. Overview
The Far Eastern mussel is the largest species in the family Mytilidae, living in large colonies on coastal rocky areas. It can be seen in all waters around Korea.
🦴 2. Anatomy & Morphology
Its shell is thick and black or mixed with brown, with distinct growth lines. Barnacles, sponges, and oysters commonly attach to its surface, while the inside shows vivid purple and pearly luster.
🔍 3. Ecology & Behavior
It is distributed from the lower intertidal zone down to 20 m deep and usually forms large beds around 5 m deep.
🇰🇷 4. Connection to Korea
It is listed on the National List of Species of Korea under the name Honghap (Korean name) and lives throughout all Korean waters.
📚 Sources & References
- • IUCN Red List: not evaluated (NE) — cross-checked with the Wikidata conservation-status entry
- • marinespecies.org — aphia.php
- • 국가생물종목록(국립생물자원관) ktsn 120000225773 — https://species.nibr.go.kr/home/mainHome.do?cont_link=009&subMenu=009002&contCd=009002&ktsn=120000225773
- • wikidata.org — Q13871933
- • commons.wikimedia.org — File:Naturalis Biodiversity Center - RMNH.MOL.317315 - Mytil
- • species.nibr.go.kr — mainHome.do
- • sealifebase.se — Mytilus-coruscus.html
- • Silhouette: PhyloPic — Katie S. Collins · CC0 1.0
Recorded dimensions are widely cited representative estimates from public literature and may vary by study or specimen.