engleski

Differential ingestion of zooplankton by four species of bivalves (Mollusca) in Mali Ston Bay, Croatia

Although several studies have shown that many species of bivalve feed on zooplankton, none of them has provided information about differences in ingested zooplankton composition amongst species co-existing in the same area over a longer period of time. This study was conducted at Mali Ston Bay - the most important bivalve aquaculture area in the eastern Adriatic Sea. We analysed the stomach contents of two cultured species - Ostrea edulis and Mytilus galloprovincialis, and two commercially important bivalve species from their natural environment – Modiolus barbatus and Arca noae. Results showed significant differences in the amounts of zooplanktonic organisms in stomach contents among the investigated species and significant seasonal variations amongst all species. The most abundant taxa were bivalve larvae, followed by tintinnids, copepods (including adult stages, nauplii and fragments), unidentified eggs and gastropod larvae. Recorded numbers of bivalve larvae in M. galloprovincialis stomach contents were the highest so far reported.

bivalve feeding; larviphagy; Mytilus galloprovincialis; Ostrea edulis; Modiolus barbatus; Arca noae

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