Filtration rate, oxygen consumption, phosphorous and nitrogenous excretion of mytilus galloprovinciallis and effect in aqueous environment

Abstract

Mussels are suspension feeders, producing faeces pellets and pseudo faeces as a waste product. Large-scale mussel farms are known to produce significant volumes of bio deposits, which can be settled beneath the farm, thereby altering sediment characteristics and the benthic community structure. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of mussel Mytilus galloprovinciallis on soluble nutrient dynamic and its effect in aqueous environment by direct observations. Two experiments were carried out in water tanks. The first one was done using water with flow, while in the second one there was no flow. Two water tanks were used: one of them was a control tank, while in the other tank, 320 mussels were placed in four net bags. Dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll-a concentration were declined in the presence of Mytilus galloprovinciallis; marked increases that were observed especially in the concentrations of N-NH4, P-PO4, POC were a result of nutrient regeneration via excretion of Mytilus galloprovinciallis. © by PSP.