Flexibility of Physiological Traits Underlying Inter-Individual Growth Differences in Intertidal and Subtidal Mussels Mytilusgalloprovincialis

Abstract

Mussel seed (Mytilusgalloprovincialis) gathered from the intertidal and subtidal environments of a Galician embayment (NW, Spain) were maintained in the laboratory during five months to select fast (F) and slow (S) growing mussels. The physiological basis underlying inter-individual growth variations were compared for F and S mussels from both origins. Fast growing seemed to be a consequence of greater energy intake (20% higher clearance and ingestion rate) and higher food absorption rate coupled with low metabolic costs. The enhanced energy absorption (around 65% higher) resulted in 3 times higher Scope for Growth in F mussels (20.5±4.9 J h−1) than S individuals (7.3±1.1 J h−1). The higher clearance rate of F mussels appears to be linked with larger gill filtration surface compared to S mussels. Intertidal mussels showed higher food acquisition and absorption per mg of organic weight (i.e. mass-specific standardization) than subtidal mussels under the optimal feeding conditions of the laboratory. However, the enhanced feeding and digestive rates were not enough to compensate for the initial differences in tissue weight between mussels of similar shell length collected from the intertidal and subtidal environments. At the end of the experiment, subtidal individuals had higher gill efficiency, which probably lead to higher total feeding and absorption rates relative to intertidal individuals.

The effect of temperature on physiological energetics of a fast-growing selective strain and a hatchery population of the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas )

“…Similarly, comparison of energy budget underlying interindividual growth differences in mussels highlighted that fast-growing mussels had significantly higher SFG than slow-growing mussels (Fernandez-Reiriz et al, 2016). Since no significant differences in metabolic energy expenditure were observed, the SFG (energy budget) in selected strain and hatchery population of oysters mainly reflected the differences in energy acquisition.…”

“…between growth and feeding rates have been documented in other marine bivalves(Tamayo et al, 2015;Teixeira de Sousa, Matias, Joaquim, Ben Hamadou, & Leitão, 2011). Fernandez-Reiriz et al (2016 …”

“…In clams Ruditapes philippinarum, sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus and mussels Mytilus galloprovinciali, significant differences between fast and slow growers in energy acquisition rate (i.e. differences in clearance rates, in food ingestion and absorption rates), as well as in the rate of energy loss through metabolic costs have been reported (Bai et al, 2015;Fernandez-Reiriz, Irisarri, & Labarta, 2016;Tamayo, Ibarrola, Cigarria, & Navarro, 2015;Tamayo, Ibarrola, Urrutia, & Navarro, 2011). Bayne et al (1999) demonstrated that Sydney rock oysters Saccostrea commercialis exhibited faster growth rate as a result of the increased energy acquisition and reduced metabolic costs of growth.…”

Lipid Composition Modifications in the Blue Mussels (Mytilus edulis L.) from the White Sea

“…There is a lot of research on the study of the diferences in physiological (energetic, growth rate, clearance rate, ingestion rate, absorption rate, respiration rate) and biochemical indices between mussels collected in intertidal (rocky shore) and subtidal (aquaculture) environments [13][14][15][76][77][78]. It is considered that these origin-related diferences in physiological rates have to do with features of the energy distribution, namely, in intertidal mussels more energy is directed to the formation of a thicker shell, while in subtidal mussels the energy is spent on tissue growth [78].…”

“…It is considered that these origin-related diferences in physiological rates have to do with features of the energy distribution, namely, in intertidal mussels more energy is directed to the formation of a thicker shell, while in subtidal mussels the energy is spent on tissue growth [78]. Simultaneously, biochemical diferences between these mussel groups are associated with various concentrations and quality of seston in the intertidal and subtidal zones [13,14,76].…”