The only species within the North andMid-Atlantic Region that can easily bemistaken for the blue mussel is the horsemussel. Modiolus modiolus. Unlike the bluemussel, the horse mussel has umbonal beaks,which are not at the apex of the shell butdisplaced to one side, and by its larger adultsize (10-15 cm) and heavier and more erodedshell. Juvenile horse mussels can bedistinguished from blue mussels by periostracal"hairs" on the posterior margin of the shell.The horse mussel is usually found in deeperoceanic water than the blue mussel and doesnot penetrate estuaries. The shells of otherspecies of mussels, such as the ribbed mussel,Geukensia demissa. and the hooked mussel,Brachidontus recurvus. have numerous ridgesradiating from the umbo towards the posteriorshell margin that clearly distinguish them fromthe smooth shell of the blue mussel
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