Naslov
Growth and longevity of Lithophaga lithophaga : what can we learn from shell structure and stable isotope composition?

Autori
Peharda, Melita ; Puljas, Sanja ; Chauvaud, Laurent ; Schöne, Bernd R. ; Ezgeta-Balić, Daria ; Thébault, Julien

Izvornik
Marine biology (0025-3162) 162 (2015), 8; 1531-1540

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
bivalve; age; date shell; Adriatic; stable isotopes; sclerochronology

Sažetak
Longevity of bivalves has been an intriguing issue, especially for those species of interest for human consumption. Reliable age and growth estimates often require the combination of several methods. In this study, we analyzed changes in shell structure including ridges on the external shell surface and growth lines observed in acetate peel replicas of shell sections of the European date mussel Lithophaga lithophaga, as well as the oxygen and carbon isotope values (δ 18O and δ 13C) of the shell. High variations in growth rates between individuals were noted. Ontogenetic ages of analyzed shells varied from 10 to 54 years (30.6–93.6 mm). According to results of generalized von Bertalanffy growth function, L ∞ was 107.6 mm, and k was 0.03 year−1. δ 18O results strongly suggest that growth ridges visible on the external shell surface of L. lithophaga are formed annually. The δ 18O values ranged from −0.2 to 2.7 ‰ (x¯=1.15±0.72 ‰), which equates to a temperature range of 13 °C. The reconstructed seawater temperatures (T δ18Oshell) ranged between 12 and 25 °C, a range in good agreement with measured temperature. Stable carbon isotope values decreased through ontogeny and ranged between −2.05 and 2.32 ‰ (x¯=0.01±0.89 ‰). Results of this study provide the first stable isotope data for L. lithophaga shells and show the potential of this species as a geochemical sclerochronological archive.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Biologija

POVEZANOST RADA