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Effects of the gem clam Gemma gemma on early post-settlement emigration, growth and survival of the hard clam Mercenaria mercenaria
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Ahn, L-Y López, Glòria Deumal Malouf, R. |
| Copyright Year | 1993 |
| Abstract | The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of dense patches of adult Gemma gemma, food concentration, and substrate type on emigration, growth and survival of newly settled Mercenaria mercenarja. Hard clams emigrated more in the presence of G. gemma than in its absence in both laboratory and field experiments. The overall effect of reduced food was ~ncreased emigration. Presence of G. gemma in sand enhanced hard clam growth while not affecting survival, but in muddy sand growth and survival decreased. Hard clams grew best in muddy sand without gem clams. In further experiments hard clams grew faster in shallower sediments and slower with addit~on of G. gemma biodeposits. We conclude that undisturbed post-settlement M. mercenaria grow more slowly than they are capable of because they spend part of the time buried, presumably to avoid surface predators. Clams that are kept near the sediment surface, either because of sedimentary properties or interaction with spatial competitors, grow considerably faster than undisturbed clams in sand. This interpretation implies a trade-off between opposing selective pressures such that clams partition time between the necessary risk of feeding and the safe but energetically unprofitable sub-surface refuge from predation. |
| Starting Page | 61 |
| Ending Page | 70 |
| Page Count | 10 |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| DOI | 10.3354/meps099061 |
| Volume Number | 99 |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://www.int-res.com/articles/meps/99/m099p061.pdf |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://doi.org/10.3354/meps099061 |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
