Y.T. Lu, N.J. Blake-1997
Journal of Shellfish Research, 16(1):47-54
Abstract:
The clearance and ingestion rates of larval and juvenile bay scallops Argopecten irradians concentricus were investigated using algal suspensions of Isochrysis galbana. An inverse relationship existed between clearance rate and algal cell concentration. Mean clearance rate ranged from 0.0034 to 0.0385 mL/h for larvae and 0.14 to 0.41 mL/h juveniles of 0.5 mm shell height and increased to 248-420 mL/h for juveniles of 10 mm shell height. Clearance rate increased with shell size allometrically, with a mean exponent of 2.460 +/- 0.087. Weight-specific clearance rare was independent of shell size at > 20 cells/micro L, but slightly decreased with increasing shell size at lower cell concentrations. Larvae and juveniles showed higher ingestion rates at higher algal concentrations, and the hyperbolic relationship was described using an enzymatic kinetic equation. Maximum ingestion rate occurred at approximately 20 cells/micro L in larvae and at > 20 cells/micro L in juveniles. As temperature increased from 10 to 30 C, larvae and juveniles became more active in feeding. Relative rates of clearance and ingestion at 10, 15, 20 and 25 C were 8.4, 22.0, 52.8, and 88.2%, respectively, of the mean rate at 30 C.
(Department of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701, USA)
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