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Growth rates of the infaunal bivalve Soletellina alba (Lamarck, 1818) (Bivalvia: Psammobiidae) in an intermittent estuary of southern Australia

Matthews, Ty and Fairweather, Peter G. 2003, Growth rates of the infaunal bivalve Soletellina alba (Lamarck, 1818) (Bivalvia: Psammobiidae) in an intermittent estuary of southern Australia, Estuarine coastal and shelf science, vol. 58, no. 4, pp. 873-885.

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Title Growth rates of the infaunal bivalve Soletellina alba (Lamarck, 1818) (Bivalvia: Psammobiidae) in an intermittent estuary of southern Australia
Formatted title Growth rates of the infaunal bivalve Soletellina alba (Lamarck, 1818) (Bivalvia: Psammobiidae) in an intermittent estuary of southern Australia
Author(s) Matthews, Ty
Fairweather, Peter G.
Journal name Estuarine coastal and shelf science
Volume number 58
Issue number 4
Start page 873
End page 885
Publisher Academic Press
Place of publication Oxford, England
Publication date 2003-12
ISSN 0272-7714
1096-0015
Keyword(s) benthic
cages
condition
infauna
mark–recapture
mortality
molluscs
soft sediments
Summary Caging and a mark–recapture design were used to estimate the growth rate of the brittle, infaunal bivalve Soletellina alba in the Hopkins River estuary. The growth of both caged and uncaged individuals was monitored at three sites near the mouth of the estuary over 180 days. Growth rates did not differ for caged and uncaged bivalves, or for bivalves subject to different amounts of handling, or between sites. Growth did differ between consecutive time intervals, which was attributable to negligible growth occurring during the colder months of autumn/winter. Comparisons of the condition (as indicated by total mass for length3) of S. alba were inconsistent between sites for caged and uncaged bivalves and for those subject to different amounts of handling. Soletellina alba is a rapidly growing bivalve with mean growth rates for the three time intervals being 0.04±0.002 mm day−1 in summer, 0.02±0.001 mm day−1 in autumn and 0.03±0.001 mm day−1 from summer to winter. Using existing literature, it was shown that a significant relationship exists between maximum shell length and onset of sexual maturity in bivalve molluscs. This relationship predicts that S. alba should reach the onset of sexual maturity at 15.8 mm length. Therefore, it appears that it may be possible for juvenile S. alba (<1 mm) to grow, reach sexual maturity and reproduce in between annual mass-mortality events caused by winter flooding.
Language eng
Field of Research 060205 Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl Marine Ichthyology)
HERDC Research category C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal
Copyright notice ©2003, Elsevier Ltd
Persistent URL http://hdl.handle.net/10536/DRO/DU:30002034

Document type: Journal Article
Collection: School of Ecology and Environment
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