Siphon size and burying depth in deposit- and suspension-feeding benthic bivalves
Zwarts, L.; Wanink, J. (1989). Siphon size and burying depth in deposit- and suspension-feeding benthic bivalves. Mar. Biol. (Berl.) 100: 227-240
In: Marine Biology: International Journal on Life in Oceans and Coastal Waters. Springer: Heidelberg; Berlin. ISSN 0025-3162; e-ISSN 1432-1793, more
|  |
| Abstract |
This paper describes the relationships between siphon weight, burying depth and shell size in Mya arenaria, Cerastoderma edule, Scrobicularia plana and Macoma balthica. All data were collected on an intertidal flat in the Dutch Wadden Sea during seven successive winter and summer periods. Macoma balthica and Scrobicularia plana live twice as deep in winter as in summer, although siphon weight for both seasons is about the same. In summer both species use a part of the siphon to graze the surface around the burrow, whereas deposit feeding dies not occur in winter. This might explain the seasonal variation in burying depth. The conclusion is that siphon size is one of the main factors determining the burying depth of benthic bivalves and thus plays a critical role in their survival. |
|
