| Summary: | 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 (H?=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 Terra Nova Bay.
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