Photo 1: A complete Bodega Tellin shell. (Photo taken at Pacific Rim National Park)
California Mussel: Mytilus californianus
Common Names: Surf Mussel, Ribbed Mussel
This large mussel has a thick, heavy shell to protect it from the wave-exposed surf of the outer coast, where it thrives in large beds along with Goose-neck Barnacles attached to rocks.
It is eaten by Ochre Sea Stars, sea birds, and oyster drills such as the Northern Striped Dogwinkle. In the summer, it may become poisonous for human consumption because it eats toxic (to humans) dinoflagellates, which cause paralytic shellfish poisoning.