Abstract
Growth of Mytilus edulis L. was measured in aquaria with through-flowing sea water at different levels of constant algal concentrations. The amount of food and oxygen consumed by the mussels were measured over given periods as well as the changes in dry organic weight during the same periods. From these parameters it was possible to make simple energy budgets and to compare the estimated growth with actual growth, and, further, to determine growth efficiences at different food levels. Energy budgets were made for mussels grown at algal concentrations of 0, 1.6×103, 3.0×103 and 26.0×103 Phaeodactylum tricornutum cells x ml-1. The estimated growth was found to be close to actual growth at algal concentrations above maintenance level and the net growth efficiency was found to be between 18% (3.0×103 cells x ml-1) and 61% (26×103 cells x ml-1). It has been shown that the filtration rate is independent of algal concentrations between about 1.5×103 to 30×103 P. tricornutum cells x ml-1. Outside this range a decrease in filtration rate was noticed.
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Communicated by T. Fenchel, Aarhus
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Riisgard, H.U., Randløv, A. Energy budgest, growth and filtration rates in Mytilus edulis at different algal concentrations. Mar. Biol. 61, 227–234 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00386664
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00386664