Abstract
The influence of six different food rations on carbon assimilation and net incorporation, and on shell and soft body growth in Mytilus edulis was determined over a 75-d period, starting in 1981. Using a triple tracer technique, interrelationships between carbon net incorporation (C-14) and cadmium accumulation from food (Cd-109) and seawater (Cd-115m) were investigated. With decreasing food rations there was an exponential increase of the carbon assimilation efficiency from 35 to 76% while the net incorporation efficiency increased approximately linearly, ranging from 15 to 32% at the highest and lowest food supply levels respectively. The carbon assimilation efficiency adapted to new conditions within 1 to 2 d while the adaptation of the net incorporation efficiency took about one month. Shells kept growing, even when the soft body lost weight. Within a 42-d elimination period, when the soft body lost 58% of the incorporated carbon, nothing was released from the shells. Cadmium accumulation from food was closely interrelated with carbon net incorporation and exhibited the same uptake kinetics. No homogeneity was found between carbon net incorporation and cadmium accumulation from seawater, and between the elimination of carbon and cadmium.
Published Version
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