California mussels, Mytilus californianus, are a fixture on Pacific North America’s rocky intertidal shores. They form beds of hundreds to millions of mussels. They’re so common and crowded it’s easy to pass over the individual. When I turned my attention to single mussels I found shells with graceful curves and rich hues.
Showing off concentric growth curves
Gently curved ribs run opposite to concentric growth curves
Who’s going to win the battle for space?
So far I’ve shown intimate views of particularly clean mussels to showcase their curves and colors. In the end though, there is no California mussel without its bed. I want to respect that. In the gallery below I take a step back to reveal the bed.
The salt and pepper look of a mussel bed | Sea at my back
Tiny fraction of a mussel bed cloaking several vertical feet on an extended reef
A crust of thatched barnacles, Semibalanus cariosus and acorn barnacles, Balanus glandula, gives the bed a salt and pepper look from a distance
With shells strong enough to withstand the force of Pacific surf, empty shells are common in the drift line.
theoutershores 
Great post. Easy to overlook the ‘ordinary’ things, yet they can be so worth the attention. Thanks
Love the beauty and the opportunity to put names to the bits I see quite often along our coast.
I’m becoming an addict for your crystal clear photography of the sea’s interesting creatures Steve. Thanks for sharing them with us
Steve, thanks for bringing us in close to appreciate the curves and detail-and- stepping back. So often we overlook the big picture. I, for one, have been guilty of that and set a personal photography goal to work on that!
Oh wow, the first thing I thought of also but I have no easy access in my life these days to tide pools, etc. Thank you for sharing these lovely photos. Makes me want to go photograph my Fiji shell collection! (Gathered years ago, with the local island Chief’s permission!)