Producer-consumer relationships in the sea. 2. Correlation between Mytilus pigmentation and the density and composition of phytoplanktonic populations in inshore waters
Jensen, A.; Sakshaug, E. (1970). Producer-consumer relationships in the sea. 2. Correlation between Mytilus pigmentation and the density and composition of phytoplanktonic populations in inshore waters. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 5: 246-253
In: Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. Elsevier: New York. ISSN 0022-0981; e-ISSN 1879-1697, more
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| Keywords |
Aquatic communities > Plankton > Phytoplankton
Chemical compounds > Organic compounds > Carbohydrates > Glycosides > Pigments
Composition > Community composition
Equipment > Oceanographic equipment
Fauna > Aquatic organisms > Aquatic animals > Shellfish > Marine organisms > Marine molluscs
Population characteristics > Population density
Sampling > Water sampling
Mytilus edulis Linnaeus, 1758 [WoRMS]
Marine/Coastal |
| Abstract |
A simple, automatic water sampler has been constructed and used to study in detail the variations in phytoplanktonic densities around populations of the edible mussel (Mytilus edulis L.). Very rapid fluctuations were observed in the plankton counts. A good correlation between these and the total carotenoid content of the mussels was found, together with considerable seasonal variation in the pigmentation of the mussels. Analyses of the pigments strongly indicated that the large dinoflagellates are at least partly assimilated by the edible sea mussel (DBO). |
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