Rate of heat dissipation by gametes and larval stages of Mytilus edulis

Heat dissipation of sperm, eggs and various stages of the planktonic larvae of the mussel Mytilus edulis L. was recorded directly at 15°C. The absolute heat dissipation increased steadily over all stages examined. The massspecific heat dissipation also increased during early embryogenesis from the fertilized egg to the D-larval stage. Starting from the early veliconcha stage, however, the mass-specific rate of heat dissipation declined from about 90 m W g^-1 with increasing body size with a weight exponent of-0.35. A comparison with literature data revealed a consistently higher metabolic activity than previously estimated by indirect calorimetry for gametes and larvae.