Growth of two Antarctic lamellibranchs: Adamussium colbecki and Laternula elliptica

• Published in: Marine Biology
• Main Authors: Ralph, R., Maxwell, J.G.H.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Springer 1977
• Subjects: Biology and Microbiology; Antarctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/525582/; https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00391569

The growth of two Antarctic lamellibranchs, Adamussium colbecki (E.A. Smith) and Laternula elliptica (King and Broderip), has been investigated. A. colbecki is a pectinid that grows to a shell height of approximately 70 mm in 6 to 7 years; L. elliptica is a deep-burrowing form, ecologically similar to the genus Mya and grows to a shell length of approximately 90 mm in 12 to 13 years. The growth pattern of both species is accurately described by the Bertalanffy growth equation and both have smaller values of the Bertalanffy K coefficient than comparable temperate species (A. colbecki K=0.24, L. elliptica K=0.16).