Size and age composition of populations and growth of Mytilus trossulus (Bivalvia: Mytilidae) in the subtidal area of western Kamchatka

Abstract

Fairly large Mytilus trossulus beds were found in the subtidal zone at depths to 40 m off the western coast of Kamchatka. The size and age composition of local populations and growth rates of M. trossulus in this region and at Atlasova Island were studied. Significant variability of the shell shape of mollusks was found. In the western Kamchatka subtidal, M. trossulus grew faster than in the northern Kuril Islands and eastern Kamchatka. Mussels attained commercial size (50 mm in shell length) in the fourth year of life in the former case and in the fifth-sixth year in other cases. Mollusks of different ages, from 1 to 8–9 year olds, were present in western Kamchatka populations; i.e., juvenile recruitment takes place regularly, while growth rates vary. Growth and population structure of M. trossulus are discussed in relation to the habitat conditions on the western Kamchatka shelf.