The Comparative Morphology of the Byssal Groove of the Foot in Three Mytilid Species (Bivalvia, Mytilidae) from the Sea of Japan

Morphological features of the byssal groove of the foot have been studied in the common mytilid species Mytilus coruscus, Crenomytilus grayanus and Modiolus modiolus from the Sea of Japan. A comparative analysis has shown interspecies differences in the length, width, and depth of the byssal groove and in the specificity of its structure, as well as in the size and shape of the distal fossa, where the byssal thread and the attachment disk are formed. The characteristics found in the morphological structure of the byssi in Myt. coruscus, C. grayanus, and Mod. modiolus are explained by the structural differences in their secretory organ.

Automated summary

Morphological features of the byssal groove of the foot were studied in three common mytilid species from the Sea of Japan. Interspecies differences in the length, width, and depth of the groove, as well as the structure of the attachment area, were found. These differences can be explained by variations in the secretory organ.