Seasonal variation in the relative utilization of carbon and nitrogen by the mussel Mytilus edulis : budgets, conversion efficiencies and maintenance requirements
Hawkins, A.J.S.; Bayne, B.L. (1985). Seasonal variation in the relative utilization of carbon and nitrogen by the mussel Mytilus edulis : budgets, conversion efficiencies and maintenance requirements. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 25(2): 181-188. https://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps025181
In: Marine Ecology Progress Series. Inter-Research: Oldendorf/Luhe. ISSN 0171-8630; e-ISSN 1616-1599, more
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| Keywords |
Chemical compounds > Carbon compounds
Chemical compounds > Nitrogen compounds
Energy budget
Food consumption
Food conversion
Temporal variations > Periodic variations > Seasonal variations
Mytilus edulis Linnaeus, 1758 [WoRMS]; Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin, 1897 [WoRMS]
Marine/Coastal |
| Authors | | Top |
- Hawkins, A.J.S.
- Bayne, B.L.
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| Abstract |
Elemental balances for carbon and nitrogen in an open-shore population of the bivalve mollusc Mytilus edulis underwent seasonal changes more characteristic of time-averaged than immediate optimization. Budgets emphasized the significance of shell and byssus towards both the carbon (8 and 44%, respectively) and nitrogen (8 and 21%, respectively) within total production, and indicated that between at least 20 and 67% of the nitrogen in faeces may be of metabolic origin. In addition to differing absorption rates, pronounced seasonal variations of net growth efficiency were effected for each elements by changes in metabolic demand that not only reflected requirements per se, but also the "gross efficiencies" with which absorbed nutrients were used to offset net deficits. Changes of "gross efficiency" were at least partially due to a variable subsidization of maintenance requirements from pre-stored reserves, rather than to possible variations of metabolic efficiency alone. |
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