Biochemical Effects of Temperature and Nutritive Stress on Mytilus Edulis L.

Abstract

In a previous paper Bayne & Thompson (1970) showed that temperature and nutritive stress resulted in a decline in body condition of mussels, Mytilus edulis, when kept in the laboratory. Both carbohydrate and protein were lost from the body tissues but the losses (as a percentage of the initial values) were greater from the germinal (mantle) than from the somatic (non-mantle) tissues. In spite of the loss of body reserves, M. edulis was able to continue maturation of the gonad during the autumn to spring period. In the early summer, however, when the gametes were fully ripe, stress resulted in a recession of the gonad and a rapid loss of protein from the mantle tissues. A similar decline in condition index and loss of glycogen and protein has been reported for adult oysters, Ostrea edulis, when maintained under hatchery conditions (Gabbott & Walker, 1971).