Identification of settling and early postlarval stages of mussels (Mytilus spp.) from the Pacific coast of North America, using prodissoconch morphology and genomic DNA |
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Authors: | A L Martel L M Auffrey C D Robles B M Honda |
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Institution: | (1) Bamfield Marine Station, Bamfield, British Columbia V0R 1B0, Canada; and Research and Collections Division, Canadian Museum of Nature, P.O. Box 3443, Station D, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6P4, Canada Tel.: +1-250-7283301; Fax: +1-250-7283452 e-mail: amartel@mus-nature.ca, CA;(2) St. Andrews Biological Station, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, St. Andrews, New Brunswick E0G 2X0, Canada, CA;(3) Department of Biology and Microbiology, California State University, Los Angeles, CA 90032, USA, US;(4) Institute of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada, CA |
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Abstract: | Detailed inventories of the benthos and field studies of the settlement and recruitment processes of marine benthic invertebrates
require accurate identification of newly settled larvae and early juvenile stages. We provide morphological criteria, visible
under a good quality dissecting stereomicroscope, by which to discriminate between species of the settling larval and early
postlarval stages (∼250 to 700 μm shell length) of mussels of the genus Mytilus on the west coast of Vancouver Island and Southern California. Compared to the bay mussel (M. trossulus), the sea mussel (M. californianus) has: (i) a shallower and flatter umbo, the latter corresponding to a significantly less pronounced prodissoconch I (PI)
curvature and (ii) a greater PI length; as well as (iii) a wider separation between the provincular lateral teeth (PLT). The
PLT distance is a new term denoting the separation between the midpoint of two reddish pigment spots of the provinculum (larval
hinge apparatus) region of settling larvae and early postlarvae of Mytilus spp. from the East Pacific Coast. These spots mark the larger provincular lateral teeth, situated at either end of the provinculum.
We confirmed the validity of morphological criteria by comparing PCR products of genomic DNA of provisionally identified postlarvae.
Furthermore, measurements of PI lengths and PLT distance from well-preserved postlarvae of sea mussels (M. californianus) and of bay mussels (M. galloprovincialis) from Southern California indicate that the PI morphology and morphometry, and PLT distance criterion apply for that region
as well. The criteria presented here can also apply to the advanced (competent) veliger stages, as the latter may settle (i.e.
become the “settling” stage) upon encountering a suitable substrate. Our present and previously published work provide economical
and effective identification methods that can be used to discriminate among early life history stages (∼250 μm to 5.0 mm shell
length) of Mytilus spp. along the west coast of North America.
Received: 10 November 1999 / Accepted: 6 September 2000 |
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