Abstract
A study was conducted to consider how certain rhythmic patterns influence byssus thread production in Mytilus edulis. The factors considered were proximity to other M. edulis, circadian rhythms, and tidal rhythms. More M. edulis produce byssus threads when clumped with other M. edulis than M. edulis maintained in separate containers, and more mussels produce byssus threads during the night than during the day. Tidal fluctuations had no influence on byssus thread production. However, it should be noted that the experimental animals were collected from a floating dock so that the results may be different if animals were collected from a stationary intertidal habitat. The results show rhythmic patterns in the animal's behavior must be considered when interpreting data concerning byssus thread production in M. edulis. Considerable variability was recorded in the number of byssus threads produced by individual animals under the same conditions. Where the effects of these factors are not taken into account, this study strongly suggests that the use of average number of byssus threads produced/animal/hour as a measure of sublethal effects of pollutants is probably invalid.
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