<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Seasonal variations of environmental factors, such as temperature and salinity, require metabolic acclimatization in sedentary benthic fauna distributed over a wide geographical range. The soft-shell clam Mya arenaria inhabits the coastal waters of the North Atlantic including North America and Europe. In Europe, M. arenaria populations are distributed from Iceland to the Mediterranean Sea, including the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea. Seasonal changes in physiological parameters (gonad index, condition index, biochemical composition and respiration rate) of M. arenaria from the Baltic Sea (the Gulf of Gdańsk, Poland), and the North Sea (Versee Meer, the Netherlands) were studied. The sex ratio of both populations did not differ from 1:1 and the seasonal gonad index was higher in the Baltic population. The average condition index changed seasonally at both studied sites, and was also higher in the Baltic population (except the autumn) compared to the North Sea. In both studied populations, the content of proteins, lipids and carbohydrates in the soft tissue followed the seasonal variations, and it was higher in the Baltic population. The respiration rate was lower in the Baltic population, and seasonal changes in the respiration rate seem to be correlated with changes in the water temperature. Based on the results obtained in the present study, we suggest that Mya arenaria is characterized by a large phenotypic plasticity and differences in the observed physiological traits are due to acclimatization to ambient environmental conditions.</p>
</abstract>

Seasonal variations of environmental factors, such as temperature and salinity, require metabolic acclimatization in sedentary benthic fauna distributed over a wide geographical range. The soft-shell clam Mya arenaria inhabits the coastal waters of the North Atlantic including North America and Europe. In Europe, M. arenaria populations are distributed from Iceland to the Mediterranean Sea, including the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea. Seasonal changes in physiological parameters (gonad index, condition index, biochemical composition and respiration rate) of M. arenaria from the Baltic Sea (the Gulf of Gdańsk, Poland), and the North Sea (Versee Meer, the Netherlands) were studied. The sex ratio of both populations did not differ from 1:1 and the seasonal gonad index was higher in the Baltic population. The average condition index changed seasonally at both studied sites, and was also higher in the Baltic population (except the autumn) compared to the North Sea. In both studied populations, the content of proteins, lipids and carbohydrates in the soft tissue followed the seasonal variations, and it was higher in the Baltic population. The respiration rate was lower in the Baltic population, and seasonal changes in the respiration rate seem to be correlated with changes in the water temperature. Based on the results obtained in the present study, we suggest that Mya arenaria is characterized by a large phenotypic plasticity and differences in the observed physiological traits are due to acclimatization to ambient environmental conditions.

Comparative study of ecophysiological and biochemical variation between the Baltic and North Sea populations of the invasive soft shell clam Mya arenaria (L. 1758)

Department of Marine Ecosystems Functioning Institute of Oceanography

Oceanological and Hydrobiological Studies

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Seasonal variations of environmental factors, such as temperature and salinity, require metabolic acclimatization in sedentary benthic fauna distributed over a...

Comparative study of ecophysiological and biochemical variation between the Baltic and North Sea populations of the invasive soft shell clam Mya arenaria (L. 1758)

Published Online: Oct 29, 2014

Page range: 303 - 311

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s13545-014-0145-8

Keywords
Mya arenaria, acclimatization, adaptation, phenotypic plasticity, ecophysiology, biochemical components, respiration rate

© 2014 Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, University of Gdańsk, Poland

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Comparative study of ecophysiological and biochemical variation between the Baltic and North Sea populations of the invasive soft shell clam Mya arenaria (L. 1758)

Published Online: Oct 29, 2014

Page range: 303 - 311

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s13545-014-0145-8

KeywordsMya arenaria, acclimatization, adaptation, phenotypic plasticity, ecophysiology, biochemical components, respiration rate

© 2014 Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, University of Gdańsk, Poland

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Mya arenaria, acclimatization, adaptation, phenotypic plasticity, ecophysiology, biochemical components, respiration rate