The Mediterranean Mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) usually occurs in the low intertidal of exposed rocky coasts with relatively high wave energy, although in its native range, it is also found growing in dense patches on the sandy-muddy bottoms of brackish lagoons (Ceccherelli and Rossi 1984).  Mytilus galloprovincialis is native to the Mediterranean, Black, and Adriatic Seas, but it has spread, mostly via ballast water and ship hull fouling, to many other regions worldwide.  Alhough this species is cultivated as food for humans in some parts of Asia, in most of its non-native range it has become a nuisance species, displacing natives, and the IUCN/SSC* Invasive Species Specialist Group has nominated Mytilus galloprovincialis as among the 100 "World's Worst" invaders.

*International Union for Conservation of Nature, Species Survival Commission