Mytilopsis sallei

Species of bivalve

Mytilopsis sallei, the black striped mussel, is a small marine bivalve mollusc in the family Dreissenidae, the false mussels. It is closely related and ecologically similar to the zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha. It is also considered as highly invasive species.

Mytilopsis shell morphology is highly variable. Shells range from 20 40mm in length, and about 10 20mm in width. The shell is brownish, greyish, and yellowish, with dark brown and white stripes. The animal inside is light orange and yellow.

There are seven known species of Mytilopsis, but because the morphology is so unclearly recorded, many are considered synonyms for each other. The Mytilopsis species has a highly variable shell morphology which has led to confusion. Mytilopsis and Congeria are sister genera in the same clade. It is thought that boats traveling through the Panama Canal assisted in distributing them, but some believe the species that currently inhabits Asia is different from Mytilopsis sallei and has been there all along. M. sallei was transported to China via ballast waters, and was first recorded in Xiamen waters (Maluan Bay) in 1990 and in the Yundang Lagoon in 2000. M. sallei was first identified in Japan in 1980, in Australia at Darwin, in Thailand in 2001, in Singapore in 2006, and in Israel in 2009. M. sallei is an alien species to Asia and Australia; it flourishes there because there are no natural controlling organisms and also because this species is highly adaptable to its environment.

M. sallei has wide temperature, salinity, oxygen, and turbulence tolerances. The species is adapted to life in turbid estuaries with wide variations in these characteristics. M. sallei is a pest, invasive species that can inhibit growth of other species. The species has also been associated with ecosystem damage and economic loss as they have been known to erode fishing facilities and other structures, leading scientists to believe its distribution should be carefully monitored. M. sallei are suspension feeders whose diets consist of organic matter and plankton. They can act as filters, removing particles and plankton from the water, though the effects of this ecological role are still unclear.

M. sallei are considered aggressive invasive species, particularly in Japanese and Indian ports. They are able to quickly reproduce and mature, allowing them to take over habitats. Efforts to control the species were taken in Darwin, Australia including chemical treatment which resulted in total eradication of the population. Studies have found that treating M. sallei larvae with magnesium and ammonia ions reduces their settlement, preventing their growth and development. Little research has been done on the impacts of this invasive species as well as possible management strategies.