The Effects of Phytoplankton Concentration, Size of Mussel and Water Temperature on Feed Consumption and Filtration Rate of the Mediterranean Mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis Lmk)

Authors: İBRAHİM OKUMUŞ, NADİR BAŞÇINAR, MÜKERREM ÖZKAN

Abstract: The effects of phytoplankton concentration, size and water temperature on the feeding rate of the Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from the Black Sea were investigated in the laboratory within a static system. Overall consumption (total cell/h) was significantly higher at the highest phytoplankton concentrations than at the lowest concentration (p<0.05), while the consumption and filtration rates declined from 0.62 to 0.23 l/h per mussel with increasing concentrations (p<0.001). Mussel size did not have a clear effect on total cell consumption, but filtration rates seemed to increase with mussel size (p<0.05). Although the consumption and filtration rates were slightly higher (81.1% and 0.83 l/h) at 18°C than those (70.6% and 0.62 l/h) at 22°C, the differences between the temperatures were not significant. The significance of the findings for coastal aquaculture and eutrophication was evaluated.

Keywords: Mytilus galloprovincialis, food consumption, filtration rate, phytoplankton concentration, mussel size, temperature

Full Text: PDF