Age and productivity of the Antarctic scallop

• Main Authors: Adamussium Colbecki, In Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea Antarctica, Olaf Heilmayera, Thomas Breya, Mariachiara Chiantoreb, Riccardo Cattaneo-viettib, Wolf E. Arntza, Terra Nova Bay
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2002
• Subjects: Antarctic scallop; Bivalvia; Pectinidae; Production; Stable isotope analysis; Antarctic; Austral; Terra Nova Bay; The Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.461.1693; http://epic.awi.de/5470/1/Hei2002a.pdf

Body size, geographical distribution, and biomass make Adamussium colbecki (Smith, 1902) one of the most conspicuous bivalve species in the Antarctic. Based on samples collected in austral summer 1999/2000 in Terra Nova Bay, the annual formation of shell growth bands visible on X-ray photographs was verified by stable isotope analysis. A general von Bertalanffy growth function was fitted to size-at-age data of 25 individuals (Hl = 108.86 mm, K = 0.114 year 1, t0 = 0.367, D = 1.284). Somatic production calculated from mass-specific growth rates was 234.6 kJ m 2 year 1. Gonadal productivity amounted to 70.92 kJ m 2 year 1. Annual somatic and gonad production-to-biomass ratios (P/B) were 0.199 and 0.052, respectively. According to its consumption and production, A. colbecki is likely to play a significant role in the trophic web of