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Significance of small-scale spatio-temporal heterogeneity in phytoplankton abundance for energy flow in Mytilus edulis

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Abstract

The effect of small-scale heterogeneity of phytoplankton abundance on mussel (Mytilus edulis L.) energy flow was studied by comparing filtration rate, consumption and assimilation efficiency in two groups of mussels fed under constant (control) and fluctuating (24 min) seston regimes of the same average. The experiment was carried out twice. Mussels appeared to regulate their filtration rate in response to varying seston concentration in one experiment, but not in the other. This behavioral difference may have been caused by differences in mean food level. Mean consumption was not different in the two feeding regimes, but assimilation efficiency was probably lower under fluctuating seston concentration. This suggests that small-scale heterogeneity in phytoplankton abundance would not affect the total transfer of energy between plankton and benthos. However, since a higher proportion of consumed energy was probably lost as faeces and/or pseudofaeces under the fluctuating seston regime, it may be expected that growth rate of mussels is depressed by small-scale heterogeneity in phytoplankton availability.

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Author notes

  1. M. Fréchette

    Present address: Service des Sciences, Pêches et Océans, Institut Maurice-Lamontagne, 850, Route de la Mer, G5H 3Z4, Mont-Joli, Québec, Canada

Authors and Affiliations

  1. GIROQ, Département de biologie, Université Laval, G1K 7P4, Ste-Foy, Québec, Canada

    M. Fréchette & E. Bourget

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  1. M. Fréchette
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  2. E. Bourget
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Additional information

Communicated by R.W. Doyle, Halifax

Contribution to the programme GIROQ (Groupe interuniversitaire de recherches océanographiques du Québec)

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Fréchette, M., Bourget, E. Significance of small-scale spatio-temporal heterogeneity in phytoplankton abundance for energy flow in Mytilus edulis . Mar. Biol. 94, 231–240 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00392935

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00392935

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