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The effect of selection treatments on Mytilus edulis, modifications of genetic and physiological characteristics

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Abstract

This study examined the effects of two selection treatments (elevated water temperature and air exposure) on the genetic and physiological characteristics of the juvenile marine mussel, Mytilus edulis (<10 mm). Genetic effects were measured on five allozymes and fitness assessed using physiological tests to estimate energy balance (scope for growth) as well as size, growth and survival. The in vitro treatments resulted in 48% mortality from an air exposure of 11 h at 27°C and 76% mortality from a 6-h exposure to 33°C water. Survivors (n = 1,152) of each treatment along with controls (n = 2,304) were measured and randomly placed in compartmentalized cages. Mussels were deployed to three bays in Prince Edward Island, Canada and monitored over a 10-month period. Initially, both of the treatments had an effect on mussel size and increased the heterozygosity of the surviving mussels. Physiological analyses after 3 months in the field showed that the two treated mussels showed lower metabolic rate that the control group. After 10 months in the field, the treated mussels were larger and had lower mortality than the untreated control mussels. Unexplained environmental interaction in each of the bays had an effect on allelic frequencies and heterozygosity. Overall, the results demonstrate that simple husbandry techniques can be used to increase the productivity of mussel seed and heterozygosity measures can be used to assess fitness. However, more field data is needed to determine the consistency of the increased productivity and if the increased productivity justifies the costs of a selective treatment. Furthermore, because the level of heterozygosity in juvenile mussel populations can vary considerably, both spatially and temporally, it may be effective as a warning of future natural mass mortality when overall heterozygosity levels are found to be low.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Garth Arsenault for his technical assistance as well as Stephen Stewart (Stewart Mussel farms), Bob Fortune (United Mussel Farms) and Russell Dockendorf (P.E.I. Mussel King) for their participation in the field study. This work was supported by the Prince Edward Island Aquaculture Alliance with funds from the National Research Council Industrial Research Assistance Program, the Aquaculture and Fisheries Research Initiative, the Prince Edward Island Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, Aquaculture and Forestry and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Management, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Avenue, Charlottetown, PE, Canada, C1A 4P3

    Neil LeBlanc, Jeff Davidson & Mary McNiven

  2. Institut des sciences de la mer, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 310 allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC, Canada, G5L 3A1

    Réjean Tremblay

  3. Mollusc Section, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Science Branch, Gulf Fisheries Centre, P.O. Box 5030, Moncton, NB, Canada, E1C 9B6

    Thomas Landry

  4. Joint Research and Development Division, Departments of Virology, The National Veterinary Institute (SVA) and The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Ulls väg 2B, 751 89, Uppsala, Sweden

    Neil LeBlanc

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  1. Neil LeBlanc
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Correspondence to Neil LeBlanc.

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Communicated by M. Kühl.

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LeBlanc, N., Tremblay, R., Davidson, J. et al. The effect of selection treatments on Mytilus edulis, modifications of genetic and physiological characteristics. Mar Biol 153, 1141–1152 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-007-0885-8

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