Sensitivity of veliger larvae of Mytilus edulis and mussel of various sizes to chlorination

The blue mussel Mytilus edulis is one of the dominant fouling organisms in cooling water systems. In this work, how veliger larvae and different size groups of the mussels responded against chlorine dosage was examined. Veliger larvae mortality was studied at different residual chlorine concentrations (0.05–0.5 mg L^?1), and it was found that a chlorine dose of 0.5 mg L^?1 is 4 times as effective as 0.05 mg L^?1 and twice as effective as 0.1 mg L^?1. Mortality of 100% for three size groups (1.4, 14, and 25 mm) and relative physiological activities of two size groups (14 and 25 mm) were observed. The exposure duration for 100% mortality of mussels decreased with the increasing residual chlorine concentration (0.1–4.0 mg L^?1). Mussel size was also found to be an important factor, considering that the continuation times for mussel mortality were 28 h for the 1.4 mm and 410 h for the 25 mm size groups. All size groups showed progressive reduction in physiological activities, such as oxygen consumption, foot activity, and byssus thread production with increasing chlorine dose (0.05–1.0 mg L^?1); the two data-sets were strongly correlated with each other. The results of this study should be of significance for optimizing the chlorine content, and minimize the environmental threat to industries where mussels are the dominant fouling organisms.     

Response of mussel Brachidontes variabilis to chlorination

Brachidontes variabilis is a common fouling mussel species in cooling water systems of tropical coastal power stations. However, there are hardly any data available on the response of B. variabilis to chlorine, a commonly used antifouling biocide. Therefore, lethal and sublethal responses of this mussel to chlorine are of considerable interest to the industry. The response of mussels in terms of mortality pattern (LT₅₀ and LT₁₀₀) and physiological activities (oxygen consumption, filtration rate, foot activity and byssus thread production) in different size groups (with shell lengths of 7–24 mm) of B. variabilis was studied in the laboratory under different chlorine concentrations (0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00 mg l^?1 for sublethal responses and 1, 2, 3 and 5 mg l^?1 for mortality). The results showed that the exposure time for 100% mortality of mussels decreased significantly with increasing chlorine concentration. However, mussel size was not a determinant of its chlorine tolerance: all size groups tested (with shell lengths of 7–24 mm) took comparable exposure times to reach 100% mortality at a given chlorine concentration (1–5 mg l^?1). All size groups of B. variabilis showed a progressive reduction in physiological activities such as oxygen consumption, filtration rate, foot activity and byssus thread production, when chlorine residuals were increased from 0 to 1 mg l^?1. The data generated in the present work are compared with similar data available for other tropical fouling mussel species to see how far relative chlorine toxicity could have influenced the relative distribution of the mussels inside the seawater intake tunnel of a power station at Kalpakkam in India. It is shown that in this insufficiently chlorinated system, the relative distribution of Brachidontes striatulus, B. variabilis and Modiolus philippinarum reflects the relative tolerance of the species to chlorine.     

苯并[a]芘对马氏珠母贝D型面盘幼虫发育的影响

苯并芘(B[a]P)已广泛分布于海洋环境中,低等海洋无脊椎动物从受精卵开始整个生长发育过程都面临着B[a]P等多环芳烃类污染物(PAHs)的威胁。本实验以热带海洋优势贝类马氏珠母贝(Pinctada maetensii)作为材料,研究B[a]P对马氏珠母贝D型面盘幼虫发育的影响。将幼虫暴露于不同浓度(1、2、4、10和15μg·L-1)B[a]P中,在暴露后第12、24、36、48、72、84小时,分别测定其D型面盘幼虫的死亡率和畸形数。结果表明:B[a]P对D型面盘幼虫死亡率的影响明显,死亡率与时间呈正相关,其中4和10μg·L-1浓度组的响应最敏感。在1～10μg·L-1浓度范围内,死亡率与浓度呈正相关;B[a]P暴露对马氏珠母贝D型面盘幼虫的形态也有显著影响,且随着浓度的增大产生畸形个体的时间越短。另外,B[a]P对马氏珠母贝D型面盘幼虫的半数致死浓度(LC50)随着时间的推移逐渐降低后趋于稳定,48h时LC50趋于稳定,为21.56μg·L-1。研究表明,B[a]P对马氏珠母贝D形幼虫的发育具有不利影响,并可能影响其种群结构。     

Temperature and salinity tolerances of embryos and larvae of the deep-sea mytilid mussel ��Bathymodiolus�� childressi

We examined temperature and salinity tolerances of early embryonic and larval stages of the deep-sea, cold-seep mussel ??Bathymodiolus?? childressi to determine whether they may control the dispersal depth of larvae. Salinity and temperature tolerances increased with developmental stage, but tolerance ranges were not as wide for the larvae of ??B.?? childressi as for the larvae of the related shallow-water mussel Mytilus trossulus. Normal development occurred in ??B.?? childressi from 7 to 15°C and at salinities of 35 and 45. Greater tolerance of ??B.?? childressi embryos to high than low salinities may aid development of negatively buoyant early embryos at brine seeps. Although there was a decreasing trend in survival of ??B.?? childressi larvae with increasing temperature, survival of ??B.?? childressi trochophores was not significantly different at 20°C than at the adults?? ambient temperature. Since larvae tolerate increasing temperatures as they age and seawater temperatures at 100?m depth do not exceed 20°C in months following the mussels?? spawning season, we suggest that temperature would not limit vertical migration of the veliger larvae of ??B.?? childressi into even the uppermost layer of the water column above the cold seeps in the Gulf of Mexico.     

芘污染对马氏珠母贝(Pinctada martensi)D型面盘幼虫发育的影响

多环芳烃(PAHs)是一类广泛存在于环境中的持久性有机污染物,大多具有潜在毒性、致癌性及致畸诱变作用。选取马氏珠母贝(Pinctada martensi)作为模式动物,研究芘对马氏珠母贝D型面盘幼虫发育的影响。将马氏珠母贝D型面盘幼虫暴露于不同浓度(2、4、8、16和32μg·L-1)芘(pyrene)中,在暴露后第12、24、36、48、60、72和84小时,分别测定其死亡率和畸形率,并观察形态学的变化。结果表明,芘对D型面盘幼虫的发育有显著影响,同一浓度组的死亡率与时间呈正相关。在2～32μg·L-1浓度范围内,不同暴露时间段,死亡率与浓度呈正相关。芘暴露对马氏珠母贝D型面盘幼虫的形态也有显著影响,随着芘浓度的增大幼虫畸形的比例增高,并呈现明显的剂量-效应关系,其中8和32μg·L-1浓度组的响应最敏感。同时,芘暴露对马氏珠母贝D型面盘幼虫的半数致死浓度(LC50)随着时间的推移逐渐降低,60h后趋于稳定,LC50值为43.50μg·L-1。研究结果表明,芘暴露能影响马氏珠母贝D型面盘幼虫的发育,并可能对其种群结构产生不利影响。     

Effect of Chlorination on the Gill Lipids of the Mussel Mytilus edulis (L)

Experiments are described which involve the chlorination of standard solutions of lipids and populations of the mussel, Mytilus edulis (L). The object was to test the hypothesis that chlorine will bind to unsaturated lipids. Evidence is presented that chlorine and aqueous chlorinated species rapidly and readily form addition compounds with unsaturated lipids in vivo as well as in vitro. The relevance of these findings to possible environmental effects of chlorination is discussed.     

Temperature-time relationships for survival of embryos and larvae of Mulinia lateralis (Mollusca: Bivalvia)

The influence of temperature over 8 time intervals on survival of cleavage stages, trochophore larvae, and straighthinge veliger larvae of Mulinia lateralis (Say) was investigated using a thermal gradient apparatus. There was a direct relationship of mortality with increased period of exposure. As the clams aged, temperature tolerance increased, with cleavage stages being most sensitive to higher temperatures and straight-hinge larvae least sensitive. Multiple-regression equations were developed to allow prediction of percentage mortalities under different conditions of temperature and time exposure. Entrainment of M. lateralis embryos and larvae in the cooling-water systems of steam-electric power plants should be as short as possible to keep mortality toa minimum.Contribution No. 550 of the Natural Resources Institute, University of Maryland, and Contribution No. 531 of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.     

Laboratory culture of the aeolid nudibranch <Emphasis Type="Italic">Spurilla neapolitana</Emphasis> (Mollusca,Opisthobranchia): life history aspects

Spurilla neapolitana from the Eastern Mediterranean was cultured in a self-sustained, temperature-controlled laboratory culture system, and its life cycle is described. Adults were collected from three field sites situated 120 km apart, along the Israeli Mediterranean coastline, between March 2006 and August 2007. Cultures of the life-cycle stages were raised at 24°C. S. neapolitana deposited white, coiled, spiral egg masses containing zygotes. Veliger larvae hatched 3.0 ± 0.4 days post oviposition. The veliger larvae are obligatory planktotrophs, with a minimal larval phase of 22 days. In the lab, larvae settled and metamorphosed following exposure to metabolites derived from distinct prey sea anemone species. Reproductive maturity was reached 42 ± 5 days post metamorphosis, resulting in a laboratory generation time of 67 days (egg to egg). The average life span of reproductive specimens in this study was 157 ± 13 days post-oviposition and they reached a length of 7–10 cm. During this period, an average adult deposited ca. 40 × 10⁶ zygotes. This species has several characteristics that suggest it will be a useful model for laboratory-oriented research. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Temperature and pressure tolerance of larvae of Crepidula fornicata suggest thermal limitation of bathymetric range

The extant deep-sea fauna is thought to result from recolonisation of this environment by shallow-water organisms following climate-driven mass extinctions. Planktonic larval tolerance to high pressure is considered an important preadaptation for successful deep-sea invasion. In this study, the pressure and temperature tolerance of a species without any known confamilial deep-sea relative were assessed for the first time. Early- and late-veliger larvae of the shallow-water species Crepidula fornicata were subjected to a temperature/hydrostatic pressure regime from 5 to 25 °C and from 0.1 to 40 MPa. Although early and late veliger survived pressures equivalent to 2,000 m water depth or greater at all temperatures, decreased larval activity indicated significant sublethal temperature and pressure effects. Reduced larval activity of early veliger at low temperatures suggests that the bathymetric range of this species may be thermally constrained. A mechanistic model is proposed to explain the emerging pattern of ontogenetic shifts in pressure tolerance of shallow-water benthic invertebrates.     

A response-surface approach to the combined effects of temperature and salinity on the larval development of Adula californiensis (Pelecypoda: Mytilidae). II. Long-term Larval survival and growth in relation to respiration

Larvae of the bivalve molluso Adula californiensis (Phillippi, 1847) were reared for 3 days, from fertilization to veliger stage, at optimum conditions (15°C, 32.2 S), and then transferred to experimental temperatures and salinities for 22 more days to determine the effects of these factors on survival and growth. For larvae surviving to 25 days, maximum survival was estimated, by response-surface techniques, to occur at temperatures below 10°C and at salinities above 25. A comparison of 60% survival response contours for 3, 15 and 25-day old larvae indicated a progressive shift in temperature and salinity tolerance with age of larvae. The older larvae became more tolerant to reduced salinity, but less tolerant to high temperatures. Growth of the larvae over 25 days of culture was slight, and relatively independent of temperature and salinity conditions found in the environment. Oxygen consumption of 3-day old veliger larvae measured at various combinations of temperature and salinity generally increased from 7° to 18°C, and then sharply decreased from 18° to 21°C. A plateau of oxygen consumption from 9° to 15°C at 32.9 S indicated that the larvae are adapted to oceanic rather than estuarine conditions. A comparison of 25-day larval survival, mean length, and growth, with oxygen consumption of 3-day old veliger larvae indicated that high temperatures (15°C, and above) coupled with reduced salinities (26.1, and below) were unfavorable for prolonged larval life. Because of the lack of larval adaptations to estuarine conditions, larva survival and, hence, successful recruitment of this species within Yaquina Bay (Oregon, USA) depends upon the essentially oceanic conditions found only during the summer in the lower part of the Bay.     

Rapana venosa as an indicator species for TBT exposure over decadal and seasonal scales

Imposex and decline in reproductive output in marine gastropods have been linked to tributyltin (TBT) exposure. This study describes Chesapeake Bay, USA, veined rapa whelk Rapana venosa imposex incidence and sex ratios from 1998 to 2009. Tissue TBT concentrations (ng g^?1) were examined with respect to whelk sex, size, and water temperature at the time of collection, and also to egg case size, hatching success, and veliger diameter. Imposex incidence declined and population sex ratios moved closer to parity from 1998 to 2009. Observed TBT concentrations (ng g^?1) were higher in James River than in Ocean View whelks with higher TBT concentrations observed in males than in females. Exponential declines in TBT concentrations from female-specific first to last clutches within a reproductive season were observed, indicating that whelks depurate TBT through egg case deposition. Egg capsule hatching success and veliger size were similar for female and imposex whelks. The R. venosa imposex levels observed in Chesapeake Bay apparently do not affect the production, release, or viability of larvae.     

Tolerance of Hyas araneus zoea I larvae to elevated seawater PCO2 despite elevated metabolic costs

Early life stages of marine crustaceans respond sensitively to elevated seawater PCO₂. However, the underlying physiological mechanisms have not been studied well. We therefore investigated the effects of elevated seawater PCO₂ on oxygen consumption, dry weight, elemental composition, median developmental time (MDT) and mortality in zoea I larvae of the spider crab Hyas araneus (Svalbard 79°N/11°E; collection, May 2009; hatch, December 2009). At the time of moulting, oxygen consumption rate had reached a steady state level under control conditions. In contrast, elevated seawater PCO₂ caused the metabolic rate to rise continuously leading to a maximum 1.5-fold increase beyond control level a few days before moulting into the second stage (zoea II), followed by a pronounced decrease. Dry weight of larvae reared under high CO₂ conditions was lower than in control larvae at the beginning of the moult cycle, yet this difference had disappeared at the time of moulting. MDT of zoea I varied between 45 ± 1 days under control conditions and 42 ± 2 days under the highest seawater CO₂ concentration. The present study indicates that larval development under elevated seawater PCO₂ levels results in higher metabolic costs during premoulting events in zoea I. However, H. araneus zoea I larvae seem to be able to compensate for higher metabolic costs as larval MDT and survival was not affected by elevated PCO₂ levels.     

The effect of selection treatments on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mytilus edulis</Emphasis>, modifications of genetic and physiological characteristics

This study examined the effects of two selection treatments (elevated water temperature and air exposure) on the genetic and physiological characteristics of the juvenile marine mussel, Mytilus edulis (<10 mm). Genetic effects were measured on five allozymes and fitness assessed using physiological tests to estimate energy balance (scope for growth) as well as size, growth and survival. The in vitro treatments resulted in 48% mortality from an air exposure of 11 h at 27°C and 76% mortality from a 6-h exposure to 33°C water. Survivors (n = 1,152) of each treatment along with controls (n = 2,304) were measured and randomly placed in compartmentalized cages. Mussels were deployed to three bays in Prince Edward Island, Canada and monitored over a 10-month period. Initially, both of the treatments had an effect on mussel size and increased the heterozygosity of the surviving mussels. Physiological analyses after 3 months in the field showed that the two treated mussels showed lower metabolic rate that the control group. After 10 months in the field, the treated mussels were larger and had lower mortality than the untreated control mussels. Unexplained environmental interaction in each of the bays had an effect on allelic frequencies and heterozygosity. Overall, the results demonstrate that simple husbandry techniques can be used to increase the productivity of mussel seed and heterozygosity measures can be used to assess fitness. However, more field data is needed to determine the consistency of the increased productivity and if the increased productivity justifies the costs of a selective treatment. Furthermore, because the level of heterozygosity in juvenile mussel populations can vary considerably, both spatially and temporally, it may be effective as a warning of future natural mass mortality when overall heterozygosity levels are found to be low.     

Brooded coral larvae differ in their response to high temperature and elevated pCO2 depending on the day of release

To evaluate the effects of temperature and pCO₂ on coral larvae, brooded larvae of Pocillopora damicornis from Nanwan Bay, Taiwan (21°56.179′N, 120°44.85′E), were exposed to ambient (419–470 μatm) and high (604–742 μatm) pCO₂ at ~25 and ~29 °C in two experiments conducted in March 2010 and March 2012. Larvae were sampled from four consecutive lunar days (LD) synchronized with spawning following the new moon, incubated in treatments for 24 h, and measured for respiration, maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII (F _v/F _m), and mortality. The most striking outcome was a strong effect of time (i.e., LD) on larvae performance: respiration was affected by an LD × temperature interaction in 2010 and 2012, as well as an LD × pCO₂ × temperature interaction in 2012; F _v/F _m was affected by LD in 2010 (but not 2012); and mortality was affected by an LD × pCO₂ interaction in 2010, and an LD × temperature interaction in 2012. There were no main effects of pCO₂ in 2010, but in 2012, high pCO₂ depressed metabolic rate and reduced mortality. Therefore, differences in larval performance depended on day of release and resulted in varying susceptibility to future predicted environmental conditions. These results underscore the importance of considering larval brood variation across days when designing experiments. Subtle differences in experimental outcomes between years suggest that transgenerational plasticity in combination with unique histories of exposure to physical conditions can modulate the response of brooded coral larvae to climate change and ocean acidification.     

冷排水中余氯对鱼类毒理效应和资源损失量估算方法的研究

在实验室条件下模拟某液化天然气(liquefied natural gas,简称LNG)工程冷排水中余氯排放,并通过毒理实验研究海洋中余氯对大黄鱼(Larimichthys crocea)仔鱼和幼鱼的毒理效应.结果表明:在余氯浓度为0.14和0.20 mg·L-1时,仔鱼出现死亡现象,其他3个低浓度条件下仔鱼无死亡率;...     

Ingestion of bivalve larvae by<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Mytilus edulis</Emphasis>: experimental and field demonstrations of larviphagy in farmed blue mussels

Ingestion of bivalve larvae by Mytilus edulis was investigated. Laboratory experiments revealed that ~ 90% of bivalve larvae offered to mussels was ingested and apparently fully digested. The shell of the bivalve larvae offered no protection against digestive processes, resulting in high larval mortality once inside the stomach. Stomach content analysis (September 2001–January 2003) showed that bivalve larvae were ingested by farmed mussels year-round, with the exception of March 2002. Numbers of ingested larvae were highest in October 2001 and May 2002, which coincides with known spawning times of farmed mussels in Ireland. Mussels ingested a large size-range of bivalve larvae, suggesting that all stages of the bivalve life cycle are vulnerable to predation. It is suggested that adult bivalves routinely filter larvae from the surrounding water and that, given the high biomass of mussels present in mussel farms, filtration by adult bivalves significantly reduces numbers of bivalve larvae in nearby waters.Communicated by J.P. Thorpe, Port Erin     

Individual variations in fatty acid composition and concentration as indicators of the nutritional condition of wild pointhead flounder larvae

We investigated the fatty acid compositions and concentrations of wild marine fish larvae with a highly accurate method because our knowledge of them has been seriously limited compared with cultured larvae. This study presents estimates of the fatty-acid-based nutritional condition of individual larvae in the field. Because the pointhead flounder Cleisthenes pinetorum displays relatively high stock size fluctuations, we investigated the developmental change in the fatty acid compositions of the body trunk, head, and eye and the annual fluctuations in the fatty acid concentrations in the trunk. We show that the process of fatty acid accumulation is not uniform across body parts and that the trunk is a better indicator of larval nutritional status than other parts because there is less time lag. Starved larvae with simultaneously high docosahexaenomic acid ratios and low total fatty acid concentrations, as observed in laboratory experiments, are rare in the wild. Thus, starved larvae must be removed rapidly by predators before they can experience a relatively long period of starvation in the wild. Fatty acid accumulation was greater in the larvae of the 2005 year class than in those of the 2006 year class in their first feeding stage, according to the optimal model derived with generalized linear model. A previous study indicated that the 2005 year class showed stronger recruitment than the 2006 year class. We conclude that the fatty acid analysis of wild larvae is a useful index of their nutritional status and mortality, especially in the first feeding stage.     

Degradation of extracellular genomic,plasmid DNA and specific antibiotic resistance genes by chlorination

Extracellular DNA structure damaged by chlorination was characterized. Integrity of extracellular ARG genetic information after chlorination was determined. Typical chlorine doses will likely effectively diminish extracellular DNA and ARGs. Plasmid DNA/ARGs were less readily broken down than genomic DNA. The Bioanalyzer methodology effectively documented damage incurred to DNA. There is a need to improve understanding of the effect of chlorine disinfection on antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in order to advance relevant drinking water, wastewater, and reuse treatments. However, few studies have explicitly assessed the physical effects on the DNA. Here we examined the effects of free chlorine (1–20 mg Cl₂/L) on extracellular genomic, plasmid DNA and select ARGs. Chlorination was found to decrease the fluorometric signal of extracellular genomic and plasmid DNA (ranging from 0.005 to 0.05 mg/mL) by 70%, relative to a no-chlorine control. Resulting DNA was further subject to a fragment analysis using a Bioanalyzer, indicating that chlorination resulted in fragmentation. Moreover, chlorine also effectively deactivated both chromosomal- and plasmid-borne ARGs, mecA and tetA, respectively. For concentrations >2 mg Cl₂//L × 30 min, chlorine efficiently reduced the qPCR signal when the initial concentration of ARGs was 10⁵ copies/mL or less. Notably, genomic DNA and mecA gene signals were more readily reduced by chlorine than the plasmid-borne tetA gene (by ~2 fold). Based on the results of qPCR with short (~200 bps) and long amplicons (~1200 bps), chlorination could destroy the integrity of ARGs, which likely reduces the possibility of natural transformation. Overall, our findings strongly illustrate that chlorination could be an effective method for inactivating extracellular chromosomal- and plasmid-borne DNA and ARGs.     

Fertilisation, embryogenesis and larval development in the tropical intertidal sand dollar Arachnoides placenta in response to reduced seawater pH

We examined the response of the tropical sand dollar Arachnoides placenta to reduced seawater pH in experiments spanning ca. 50 % of the planktonic larval duration. A. placenta inhabits intertidal sandy beaches where we observed a minimum in situ pH range 0.06 pH units (pH 8.10–8.16). The responses of gametes and larvae to seawater pH were tested in vitro in ambient (pH 8.14, pCO₂ = 525.7 μatm, total alkalinity = 2,651 μmol kg soln^?1) and three reduced pH seawater treatments (7.8–7.0). Percentage fertilisation decreased significantly with decreasing pH across a range of sperm/egg ratios (4:1 up to 4,000:1). A. placenta reached the advanced pluteus stage in 4 days, and during this time, we saw no difference in survival rate of larvae between the ambient (67 %) and pH 7.79 (72 %) treatments. Four-day survival was, however, reduced to 44 and 11 % in the pH 7.65 and 7.12 treatments, respectively. Larval development and morphometrics varied among pH treatments. Embryos reared in pH 7.12 exhibited arrested development. Larvae reared at pH 7.65 showed delayed development and greater mortality compared with those reared at pH 7.79 and 8.14. When larval morphometrics are compared among larvae of the same size, differences in larval width and total arm length between pH treatments disappear. These results suggest that variation in larval size among the three highest pH treatments at a given time are likely the result of slower development and apparent shrinkage of surviving larvae and not direct changes in larval shape. There were no differences in the percentage inorganic content (a proxy for calcification) in larvae reared in either an ambient or a pH 7.7 treatment. The responses of fertilisation and development to decreased pH/increased pCO₂ in A. placenta are within the range of those reported for other intertidal and subtidal echinoid species from colder latitudes.     

Food-particle size and selection by bivalve larvae in a temperate embayment

Epifluorescence microscopy was used to analyze the stomach contents of bivalve larvae collected in the Baie des Chaleurs (western Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada) in order to document food-particle sizes, compare feeding among taxa, and compare the diet with the in situ phytoplankton community. Stomach contents were mainly composed of small autotrophic flagellates (<5 μm) and cyanobacteria (<2 μm), reflecting the microbial food web which characterizes these waters. More than half (55%) of all veligers examined contained algal cells of 5 to 15 μm, whereas only 3% had cells of 15 to 25 μm. Differences in the size ranges of ingested algal cells among similar-sized larvae of different species suggests that veligers actively selected food particles. Among the smallest veligers (185 to 260 μm), scallops (Placopecten magellicanus) and mussels (Mytilus edulis) ingested more <5 μm and 5 to 15 μm algae than clams (Mya arenaria). Among larger veligers (261 to 405 μm), clams contained significantly more <5 μm cells than mussels, whereas mussels contained significantly more 5 to 15 μm algae than clams. Algal cells of 15 to 25 μm were preferentially ingested by mussel veligers. Feeding also differed between different-sized veligers within taxa, i.e. the smallest clam veligers ingested fewer of 5 to 15 μm algae than the larger size classes. Mussel veligers ingested significantly more 15 to 25 μm and fewer <5 μm cells as their size increased. The dominance of ultraplankton in the nearshore waters of Baie des Chaleurs and in the stomach contents suggests that veliger larvae may be an important export path for carbon produced by small phytoplankton. Received: 17 July 1996 / Accepted: 20 September 1996