California mussel

…starfish feeds on the mussel Mytilus californianus and is responsible for maintaining much of the local diversity of species within certain communities. When the starfish have been removed experimentally, the mussel populations have expanded rapidly and covered the rocky intertidal shores so exclusively that other species cannot establish themselves. Consequently,…

The California mussel, which dominates exposed rocky shores in the western United States and Canada, serves as another example. Winter storms scour mussels off the rock surfaces, producing patches or gaps that vary in initial size from less than 100 square cm (15.5 square inches) to…