TY - JOUR
T1 - Comparative study of predatory responses in blue mussels (Mytilus edulis L.) produced in suspended long line cultures or collected from natural bottom mussel beds
AU - Christensen, Helle Torp
AU - Dolmer, Per
AU - Petersen, Jens Kjerulf
AU - Tørring, Ditte Bruunshøj
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - Blue mussels (Mytilus edulis L.) are a valuable
resource for commercial shellfish production and may also
have uses as a tool in habitat improvement, because mussel
beds can increase habitat diversity and complexity. A
prerequisite for both commercial mussel production and
habitat improvement is the availability of seed mussels
collected with minimum impact on the benthic ecosystem.
To examine whether mussels collected in suspended cultures
can be used for bottom culture production and as tool
in habitat improvement, the differences in predatory
defence responses between suspended and bottom mussels
exposed to the predatory shore crab (Carcinus maenas L.)
were tested in laboratory experiments and in the field.
Predatory defence responses (byssal attachment and
aggregation) and morphological traits were tested in laboratory,
while growth and mortality were examined in field
experiments. Suspended mussels had an active response in
relation to the predator by developing a significantly firmer
attachment to the substrate and a closer aggregated structure.
Bottom mussels had a passive strategy by having a
thicker shell and larger relative size of the adductor muscle.
In a field experiment mussels originated from suspended
cultures had a higher length increment and lower mortality
when compared to bottom mussels. It is concluded that
suspended mussels potentially are an alternative resource
to bottom culture and can be used in habitat improvement
of mussel beds, but that the use of suspended mussels has
to be tested further in large-scale field experiments
AB - Blue mussels (Mytilus edulis L.) are a valuable
resource for commercial shellfish production and may also
have uses as a tool in habitat improvement, because mussel
beds can increase habitat diversity and complexity. A
prerequisite for both commercial mussel production and
habitat improvement is the availability of seed mussels
collected with minimum impact on the benthic ecosystem.
To examine whether mussels collected in suspended cultures
can be used for bottom culture production and as tool
in habitat improvement, the differences in predatory
defence responses between suspended and bottom mussels
exposed to the predatory shore crab (Carcinus maenas L.)
were tested in laboratory experiments and in the field.
Predatory defence responses (byssal attachment and
aggregation) and morphological traits were tested in laboratory,
while growth and mortality were examined in field
experiments. Suspended mussels had an active response in
relation to the predator by developing a significantly firmer
attachment to the substrate and a closer aggregated structure.
Bottom mussels had a passive strategy by having a
thicker shell and larger relative size of the adductor muscle.
In a field experiment mussels originated from suspended
cultures had a higher length increment and lower mortality
when compared to bottom mussels. It is concluded that
suspended mussels potentially are an alternative resource
to bottom culture and can be used in habitat improvement
of mussel beds, but that the use of suspended mussels has
to be tested further in large-scale field experiments
U2 - 10.1007/s10152-010-0241-0
DO - 10.1007/s10152-010-0241-0
M3 - Journal article
SN - 1438-387X
VL - 66
SP - 1
EP - 9
JO - Helgoland Marine Research
JF - Helgoland Marine Research
ER -