Habitat-specific growth of hard clams Mercenaria mercenaria (L.) from the Indian River, Florida
Arnold, W.S.; Marelli, D.C.; Bert, T.M.; Jones, D.S.; Quitmyer, I.R. (1991). Habitat-specific growth of hard clams Mercenaria mercenaria (L.) from the Indian River, Florida. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 147(2): 245-265. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0022-0981(91)90185-Y
In: Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. Elsevier: New York. ISSN 0022-0981; e-ISSN 1879-1697, more
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| Keywords |
Animal products > Shells
Habitat
Microenvironments
Mercenaria mercenaria (Linnaeus, 1758) [WoRMS]
Marine/Coastal |
| Authors | | Top |
- Arnold, W.S.
- Marelli, D.C.
- Bert, T.M.
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- Jones, D.S.
- Quitmyer, I.R.
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| Abstract |
Microgeographic variation in shell growth rate of Mercenaria mercenaria among habitats within the Indian River, Florida, was studied to develop a baseline against which the significance of M. mercenaria shell growth rate differences observed over a larger geographic scale could be compared. Hard clams of the genus Mercenaria were collected from 525 randomly located stations within the Indian River during July and August, 1986. Clams (n = 922) were returned to the laboratory and taxonomically identified using diagnostic protein loci. Clams identified as M. mercenaria (n = 465) were isolated and their shell growth rate determined by internal shell growth-increment analysis. The annual pattern of internal shell growth-increment formation in genetically identified M. mercenaria from the Indian River was documented using specimens collected monthly from Sep. 1987 through Aug. 1988. Results of this study indicate that comparisons of shell growth rates among hard clam populations over a wide geographic range must be tempered by a consideration of shell growth rate variation among habitats within each site. |
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