Light-induced shell pigmentation in post-larval Mytilus edulis and its use as a biological tag

It was found that shell pigmentation in post-larval (< 1.5 mm) Mytilus edulis L. is controlled by light intensity. This relationship was used to develop a method for tagging cohorts of these post-larvae. It was also used to infer the light regime experienced by wild post-larvae in the field. Grow...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine ecology. Progress series (Halstenbek) 1987-01, Vol.39 (2), p.137-144
Main Authors: Trevelyan, George A., Chang, Ernest S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Habitats
Inlets
Larvae
Larval development
Luminous intensity
Marine
Mussels
Mytilus edulis
Pigmentation
Pigments
Rafts
T tests
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Summary:It was found that shell pigmentation in post-larval (< 1.5 mm) Mytilus edulis L. is controlled by light intensity. This relationship was used to develop a method for tagging cohorts of these post-larvae. It was also used to infer the light regime experienced by wild post-larvae in the field. Growth was temporarily slowed during the light phase of the tagging process. No effect of the tag on subsequent survival was seen. Since the tag consists of a pigment band in both the periostracum and the prismatic shell layers, it persists until these layers erode away. The utility of the tag in a field trial is described.
ISSN:0171-8630
1616-1599
DOI:10.3354/meps039137