Premium
Culture of the blue mussel Mytilus edulis (Linnaeus, 1758) fed both phytoplankton and zooplankton: a microcosm experiment
Author(s) -
Wong Wai Hing,
Levinton Jeffrey S
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
aquaculture research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.646
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1365-2109
pISSN - 1355-557X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2109.2004.01107.x
Subject(s) - mytilus , biology , microcosm , zooplankton , phytoplankton , blue mussel , mussel , pellets , seawater , zoology , growth rate , water column , clearance rate , plankton , aquaculture , fishery , ecology , nutrient , fish <actinopterygii> , paleontology , geometry , mathematics , endocrinology
With a 10‐week microcosm experiment, we demonstrated that the mussel Mytilus edulis could feed and grow upon zooplankton, phytoplankton and mixture of them. The group supplied with the mixture showed the highest shell growth rate, egestion rate and largest size of faecal pellets. Individuals feeding on seawater (the control group) had the lowest growth rate, egestion rate and smallest size of faecal pellets. Egestion rates and faecal sizes of all the groups decreased with experimental time. Therefore, the mussel M. edulis could derive energy from many kinds of diet particles. Most of these particles within the water column may play an important role in bivalve nutrition, feeding and aquaculture. A mixed diet of phytoplankton and zooplankton yielded better growth performance and metabolism than diets of each fed separately.