Shell cleaning and deposit feeding inMytilus edulisL. (Bivalvia)

Mytilus edulis as a rule has shells with a clean and smooth periostracum. It is shown that the mussels actively clean their shells with the foot, which is morphologically adapted for the cleaning process. Particles removed from the shells during cleaning are taken into the mantle cavity and treated in the same way as particles strained from the water by the gills, i. e., eaten or rejected as pseudofaeces. Particles reached by the foot during creeping may be treated in the same way.