Seasonal growth in the bivalve Macoma balthica near the southern limit of its range
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Abstract
Shell-length growth in Macoma balthica from San Francisco Bay, California, as measured on living animals in situ, is highly seasonal despite a mild Mediterranean climate: a long period of near non-growth from May to the following February is followed by a short period of rapid growth between March and May. The rapid-growth period follows the spawning period during January/February and ends as water temperature rises above about 15??C. Despite the shortness of the growth period, M. balthica grows larger at a given age in San Francisco Bay than is recorded elsewhere in the world. Application of a model, developed elsewhere from these same field measurements, shows that (1) measurable growth occurs during the summer/autumn/early winter "nongrowth" period, (2) there is an autumn recruitment, and (3) both spring and autumn recruits combine to form a single "one-year-old" size grouping. None of these features is detectable through growth-ring analysis of field samples, apparently because of indistinct climatic seasons, or through size-frequency histogram analysis because of the combined effects of slow growth and intermittent recruitment. ?? 1982 Estuarine Research Federation.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Seasonal growth in the bivalve Macoma balthica near the southern limit of its range |
| Series title | Estuaries |
| DOI | 10.2307/1352108 |
| Volume | 5 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Year Published | 1982 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Springer-Verlag |
| Contributing office(s) | San Francisco Bay-Delta, Pacific Regional Director's Office |
| First page | 110 |
| Last page | 120 |
| Online Only (Y/N) | N |
| Additional Online Files (Y/N) | N |