Mussel

ARTICLE CONTENTS:  |  Links to Other Sites
The mussel is a bivalve (hinged shell) MOLLUSC of either the marine order Mytiloida or the freshwater superfamily Unionacea. Mussels, prized worldwide for food, are the moule of French cuisine. Marine mussels are elongated by enlargement of the posterior end. They are found attached to a support by byssal threads (filaments secreted by the mollusc) or partially buried. The blue, bay or common mussel (Mytilus edulis) occurs on Canada's East and West coasts and is the only mussel of commercial interest in this country. Recent AQUACULTURE operations in the Maritimes have been successful. In 1996, 9832 t were produced on the Atlantic coast. Two other mussels provide a recreational fishery and have potential for development: sea mussels (M. californianus), found on the exposed West Coast, and horse mussels (Modiolus modiolus), present in deeper waters of the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. In late 1987 a ban on East Coast mussels was the result of some 100 people becoming ill and at least 2 dying from eating Maritime mussels. The demoic acid toxin was responsible.

Author FRANK R. BERNARD


Links to Other Sites
Canadian Biodiversity Website
A great information source for all budding biologists. Learn about biodiversity theory, natural history, and conservation issues. From McGill’s Redpath Museum.

Harvests of Prince Edward Island
The "Harvests of Prince Edward Island" project utilizes the collections and resources of the Island's community museums to explore a number of the harvests which have been important to the Island's history. From the Community Museums Association of Prince Edward Island and the Virtual Museum of Canada.

0
0
Absolutely free, with over 40,000 articles in French and English, The Canadian Encyclopedia is the ultimate online resource for all things Canadian, from history, sports, arts, science, technology, and much, much more. Get started at www.TheCanadianEncyclopedia.com
Feature Articles
Elections of 1979 and 1980

Calling elections is like Goldilocks visiting the three bears – which political stew will turn out to be too soon, too late, or just right...?

INSIDE TCE

Gallery
Browse the rich visual resources of The Canadian Encyclopedia through thematic galleries of Canadian Art, History, Nature, People, and Science and Technology.
Interactive Resources
Illustrations, lively text, animations, sounds and games help make learning about Canadian history, art, geography, architecture and other topics entertaining as well as informative.
Canucklehead
The ultimate test of your knowledge of Canada, trivial and otherwise. You can choose from more than 60 dynamic quizzes with visual or text clues. Your scores depend on the speed with which you answer and the number of clues you need. Results are sent to you by email and high scores are posted on the site.
Timeline
This unique resource includes more than 6000 events from Canadian and world history. It can be searched by era, subject, keyword or date. To find out what happened on your birthday, select the month and day of your birth.
100 Greatest Events
This selection of the 100 "greatest" events in Canadian history was made by editor in chief James H. Marsh to draw attention to events that have left an indelible memory in the minds of later generations.