Filtration rate of the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, during

exposure to plankton and fucoid zygote diet treatments

Photo by: Marissa McNally

Marissa McNally
Corning School of Ocean Studies, Maine Maritime Academy
Advisor: Dr. Jessica Muhlin
Fall 2014

Abstract
The blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, is a widely distributed mollusc that is known for its role
in the ecosystem as a filter feeder. M. edulis individuals from Penobscot Bay, Maine were
analyzed for differences in filtration rate during exposure to two different diets for three different
time periods. The expectation was that the filtration rate of mussels in the zygote diet treatment
would be lower than the filtration rate of mussels in the plankton diet treatment, and that
filtration rate in both treatments would decrease over time. It was determined that the filtration
rate of M. edulis was higher in a diet consisting of fucoid zygotes than in a diet consisting of
plankton, which was opposite of the expectation. In addition to differences in filtration rate
between diets, the filtration rate in both diets decreased over time. A difference in filtration rate
between two diets may indicate a higher nutritional value of one diet over another, in particular
that the zygote diet was higher in nutrients than the plankton diet. A decreased filtration rate over
time may suggest that mussels sense particle depletion within the water column, or that the need
to feed decreases after feeding for a given time.

Introduction
Mytilus edulis is a commercially and ecologically-important marine bivalve commonly
known as the edible blue mussel (FAO Fisheries Statistics 2006; ITIS Report 2014). M. edulis
suspension feeds to consume plankton and detritus in bays, estuaries, and the brackish waters of
the intertidal zone across the Northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (FAO Fisheries Statistics
2006; Bracken et al. 2012; Schulz 2013). Individual mussels utilize strong byssal threads that are
secreted from a gland in their foot in order to attach to substrate such as rocks and shells in
environments with constantly moving water (Pechenik 2010). Once attached, groups of mussels
create patches called beds (Schulz 2013). Mussel beds create commensal homes for organisms
such as: small crabs, sea stars, and various algal species (Figure 1; Schulz 2013) and have been
found to regulate the populations of surrounding fauna; larger beds promote higher faunal
diversity and abundance within the environment (Koivisto et al. 2011). A decline in mussel
population could therefore lead to a decline in their predators such as birds and whelks. A
removal of mussels could also cause a decrease in seston (suspended particles such as plankton,
detritus, and salts) depletion and therefore a decrease in water clarity (Grant et al. 2007) which
may be detrimental to the photosynthetic algae and plankton that rely on light to survive. For
these reasons, M. edulis is known as an ecosystem engineer (Koivisto et al. 2011).
M. edulis plays a critical role in the ecosystem by filtering particles out of the water
(Grant et al. 2007). As an organism that regulates the surrounding ecosystem and provides a
habitat and food source for other organisms, the mussel is considered to be important within its
environment (Koivisto et al. 2011). Mussels have been shown to exhibit a physiological response
to changes in composition and abundance of seston throughout seasons and over time by
increasing or decreasing filtration rate in response to these changes (Lesser et al. 2010).

Changes in M. edulis populations are often used as an indicator for presence of pollution
within its environment (Pechenik 2010). Dimethyl Sulfide (DMS) is an odorous substance often
found in fish, shrimp, and shellfish due to ingestion of algae (including plankton) that produce
the chemical during osmoregulation (Schulz 2013). The presence of DMS in shellfish such as
mussels can make them unpalatable for human consumption which is disadvantageous to
fisheries. Although DMS is not harmful to the organism, there are diseases such as parasitic
infections, Vibriosis, and Rickettsiosiis that are potentially life threatening to shellfish such as
mussels. In cases where pollution or additional environmental factors could cause declining
mussel populations, the diet of the mussel is of concern because the decline could have an impact
on the ecosystem.
M. edulis responds to environmental cues, such as changes in concentration of plankton
or detritus within the water column by altering its filtration rate to suit its nutritional needs
(Clausen and Riisgard 1996). The diet of M. edulis consists primarily of plankton but mussels
also ingest lower nutrient foods such as detritus suspended in the water column (Bracken et al.
2012). Hing Wong and Levinton (2004) observed that mussels exhibit the highest filtration rate
and the highest growth rate in a treatment containing both phyto-and zoo-plankton compared to
treatments containing either only phytoplankton (which promoted the second highest growth
rate) or only zooplankton. Mussels feed on phytoplankton and zooplankton within the water
column, but plankton high in nutrients or abundance are not always available (Bracken et al.
2012). As such, a more nutrient-rich food source could be beneficial to the mussel population in
Maine and in commercial mussel farms.
Alternative sources of nutrients for M. edulis may be present in Maine and intertidal
zones worldwide. In addition to ingesting plankton within the water column, M. edulis also

ingests microscopic algae (plankton) such as Rhodomonas salina (Clausen and Riisgard 1996),
so the potential for ingestion of other microscopic species of algae (and their reproductive
zygotes) exists. In autumn in the Gulf of Maine, the fucoid macroalga, Fucus vesiculosus is
reproductive (Berndt et al. 2002; Muhlin et al. 2011). Fucus vesiculosus males and females
broadcast their gametes synchronously on calm and sunny days (Serrao et al. 1996; Berndt et al.
2002; Muhlin et al. 2011); the result is a high reproductive success rate (typically very close to
100%) meaning that all of the released eggs are fertilized by the released sperm (Berndt et al.
2002). Although all of the eggs are fertilized, not all of the algal zygotes settle and subsequently
attach to substrate (Muhlin et al. 2011). Zygotes that do not attach may be ingested by various
filter feeders, such as mussels and snails. Lehane and Davenport (2004) demonstrated that
mussels ingest the larvae of other bivalves and potentially even their own larvae; therefore the
zygotes of the alga Fucus vesiculosus are a potential high nutrient food source (Kraufvelin et al.
2012) and the mussels could utilize them as an alternative where plankton are present in low
densities or not at all.
In addition to an ecological role, M. edulis also plays an economic role in ecosystems
throughout the world. In the year 2010 alone, nearly 100,000 tonnes of M. edulis were cultivated
worldwide (FAO Fisheries Statistics 2006). Denmark and Canada were the top commercial
producers of M. edulis in 1999 but cultivation is also common in Maine (USA; FAO Fisheries
Statistics 2006). Higher filtration rates and growth rates due to the presence of a high nutrient
diet could be beneficial to mussel farms worldwide.
M. edulis is an important organism in the ecosystem of Penobscot Bay, Maine (not only
for the ecosystem, but also for the economy) and a decline there could be detrimental to
populations of sea stars, crabs, and alga that rely on mussel beds as a habitat. In Penobscot Bay,

mussels prey on plankton; seagulls, whelks, and other gastropods prey on the mussels (FAO
Fisheries Statistics 2006; Schulz 2013), so a decline in mussel population could in turn effect
populations of those species as well. Fucus vesiculosus thrives in the intertidal zones of
Penobscot Bay, so there is potential for fucoid zygotes as a diet source there. A better
understanding of the filtration habits of M. edulis in Maine could lead to a better understanding
of the filtration of M. edulis worldwide.
The expectation of this study was that mussels would alter their filtration rate depending
on the availability and quality of food within the ecosystem. Studies have shown that the
mussels normal diet consists mostly of plankton (Bracken et al. 2012), but fucoid zygotes are
potentially a more nutrient rich food that may be available to mussels. The potential for a food
source higher in nutrients than plankton may allow mussel populations to reach a maximum
growth rate faster in both the wild and in aquaculture farms. The goal of this study was to
determine whether the filtration rate of a M. edulis individual would exhibit a quantitative
change when exposed to two different diet treatments. The first objective of this study was to
determine whether mussel filtration rate changed in response to diet treatments of differing
qualities, particularly whether the filtration rate would be higher in a diet treatment consisting of
only plankton than in a diet consisting of fucoid zygotes. The second objective was to determine
whether filtration rate changed over time (specifically whether the filtration rate decreased over
time which may be indicative of a physiological response to change in diet concentration).

Materials and Methods

The expectation of this study was that blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) individuals would
alter their filtration rate in response to exposure to different diets. An experiment was designed
and implemented to test for these differences; mussels were collected and exposed to a diet
treatment of plankton or fucoid zygotes for 1, 2, or 4 hours. Differences in filtration rates
between the three time periods in each treatment and between the two treatments at each time
period were analyzed for three days of data collection.
Organism Collection
One hundred adult (larger than 40 mm in length as defined by FAO Fisheries Statistics
2006) blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, individuals were collected in the fall of 2014 from the floating
docks at the Maine Maritime Academy waterfront in Castine, Maine. Sixty mussels, of an
average length of 54.5+3.43 mm, width of 27.7+1.78 mm, and weight of 14.3+2.7 g with no
shell damage (e.g. cracked or broken areas, epiphyte growth), were chosen for the experiment.
Mussels were maintained in the Andrews Hall running seawater laboratory prior to data
collection. Twenty mussels were used each day for a three day experiment. All mussels were
exposed to artificial seawater containing no food for 24 hours prior to the start of the experiment.
Mussels were randomly assigned to a beaker numbered one through twenty. Subsequently, the
diet treatment (fucoid zygotes or plankton in artificial seawater) and a time period (1, 2, or 4
hours) were randomly assigned to each beaker.

Diet Treatments
All treatment beakers were aerated and circulated via an air pump throughout data
collection to ensure that the seawater remained homogeneous. Four air pumps and splitters with
five hoses each were used to aerate the twenty beakers equally throughout the experiment. The
twenty individual beakers were contained within the laboratory table and water was maintained
at the same level as the water within the beakers to ensure constant water temperature was
maintained (Figure 2). Each treatment group of mussels was exposed to an Instant Ocean
Aquarium Salt seawater (salinity of 33 psu as measured on an RHS-10ATC Portable
Refractometer) treatment containing both phytoplankton and zooplankton or zygotes of the alga
Fucus vesiculosus.
Plankton were collected from natural seawater with a 50m SeaBird plankton net from a
seawater hose in the wet laboratory. After collection in a plankton net, plankton were removed
from natural seawater by centrifugation (on a VWR Galaxy 10 Centrifuge at 1000 rpm) and
removal of the supernatant. The pellet of plankton was added to artificial seawater. Zygotes were
removed from the filtered, autoclaved seawater and added to artificial seawater by centrifugation
and removal of the supernatant. The centrifugation process was repeated until a concentration of
250 cells mL-1 was reached. The concentration (cells mL-1) of the seawater was measured via
Sedgewick Rafter counting cell on a Nikon Eclipse E200 compound light microscope.
Fucus vesiculosus male and female gametes were released following the methods of
Brawley (1991). Female individuals were stirred in an ice bath for 5 minutes, dried for 5
minutes, stirred again for 5 minutes, and dried again for 5 minutes, then placed in sunlight for
two hours in autoclaved, filtered seawater. Male individuals were stirred in an ice bath for 5

minutes, dried for 5 minutes, stirred again for 2 minutes, and dried again for 5 minutes, then
placed in sunlight for two hours in autoclaved, filtered seawater to release. Upon gamete release,
the eggs were fertilized with sperm at a 5000:1 sperm:egg ratio (Brawley 1991). The zygotes
were pelleted and added to the artificial seawater following the same centrifugation method used
for plankton.
The diet treatments were both prepared to approximately 250 cells mL-1 (one-fourth of
the concentration measured at the Maine Maritime Academy Waterfront). The seawater for each
treatment was then diluted by one half with artificial seawater to a final concentration of
approximately 125 cells mL-1.
Data Collection
Beakers were labeled one through twenty and arranged in the laboratory table in two
rows of ten. Two hundred mL of the treatment water was placed in each beaker and the water
was given ten minutes to homogenize and to adjust to temperature within the beakers. The
mussels were added to the beakers and timing for data collection began when all mussels were
added to their respective beakers. Either three or four mussels were removed at each time period
for each treatment (Table 1).
Upon mussel removal and homogenization of treatment water, 50 mL water samples were
collected for all treatments on all three days and stored in 50mL centrifuge tubes in the
refrigerator. After the three day data collection was complete, the samples were thoroughly
shaken to mix and analyzed for final concentration (cells mL-1). For each of the sixty samples, 1
mL of water was transferred to a Sedgewick rafter cell and the cells were counted at 200x

magnification on a Nikon compound light microscope. This process was repeated three times for
each sample.
The final cell concentration was subtracted from the initial cell concentration of the
seawater and the filtration rate was calculated using Equation 1.
Initial Cell Concentration (cells mL-1) - Final Cell Concentration (cells mL-`)
Mussel Weight (g) * Exposure Time (h)

Equation 1

Data Analyses
To test for differences in filtration rate over time and between treatments, the data were
analyzed in IBM SPSS Statistics 20. A Kruskal-Wallis Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) for
nonparametric statistics was used to test for significant differences in the filtration rate at each of
the three time periods for each of the two treatments. Individual differences in filtration rate were
analyzed for each diet treatment using a Tukeys post-hoc multiple comparison test. The data
were graphed to represent the filtration rate (cells mL-1 g-1 hr-1) of the mussels exposed for 1, 2, or
4 hours to a diet of plankton and a diet of fucoid zygotes. A Mann-Whitney U-test for
nonparametric statistics was used to test for a significant difference in filtration rate between the
two diet treatments for each of the three time periods. The data were graphed to represent the
filtration rate (cells mL-1 g-1 hr-1) of the mussels in two different diet treatments after exposure for
1, 2, and 4 hours.

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Results
In both the plankton diet treatment and the fucoid zygote diet treatment, there was a
significant decrease in filtration rate of Mytilus edulis over time. A significant difference was
found in filtration rate between the two diet treatments after one hour of exposure; the mussels in
the zygote diet treatment exhibited higher filtration rates. For the remaining two exposure times,
there were no significant differences in filtration rate between the two diet treatments, however
the mussels in the zygote diet treatment continued to exhibit higher filtration rates than those in
the plankton diet treatment.
The filtration rate of M. edulis individuals exposed to the plankton diet differed
significantly between the three exposure times (Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA, p<0.001, H=25.812,
df=2, n1hour=n2hours=n4hours=10, Figure 3). The filtration rate was significantly higher (2.88+0.38
cells mL-1g-1hr-1) after one hour than after two hours (Tukey Post-Hoc, p<0.001) and after four
hours (Tukey Post-Hoc, p<0.001). The lowest filtration rate (0.87+0.07 cells mL-1g-1hr-1) was
observed after four hours, and the filtration rate after two hours fell in the middle (1.59+0.10).
The filtration rate of M. edulis individuals exposed to the fucoid zygote diet also differed
significantly between the three exposure times (Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA, p<0.001, H=21.572,
df=2, n1hour=n2hours=n4hours=10, Figure 4). The filtration rate was significantly higher (4.32+1.12
cells mL-1g-1hr-1) after one hour than after two hours (Tukey Post-Hoc, p<0.001) and four hours
(Tukey Post-Hoc, p<0.001). There was no significant difference (Tukey Post-Hoc, p=0.107)
between the filtration rates at two hours and four hours, however the filtration rate was lower at
four hours (1.02+0.36 cells mL-1g-1hr-1) than at two hours (1.73+0.54 cells mL-1g-1hr-1).

11

There was a significant difference (Mann-Whitney U-test, z=2.570, p=0.010, df=18,

n=20, Figure 5) in filtration rate between M. edulis individuals in the plankton treatment and
mussels in the fucoid zygote treatment after one hour. The filtration rate (4.32+1.12 cells mL-1g1

hr-1) of individuals in the fucoid zygote treatment was nearly twice that of the filtration rate

(2.88+0.38 cells mL-1g-1hr-1) of individuals in the plankton treatment. There were, however, no
significant differences in filtration rate between individuals in the plankton treatment and
mussels in the fucoid zygote treatment after two hours (Mann-Whitney U-test, z=0.605, p=0.545,
df=18, n=20, Figure 6) or after four hours (Mann-Whitney U-test, z=1.588, p=0.112, df=18,
n=20, Figure 7). Although the difference was not significant, the filtration rate for mussels in the
fucoid zygote treatment was higher (1.73+0.54 cells mL-1g-1hr-1 and 1.02+0.36 cells mL-1g-1hr-1
after two hours and four hours, respectively) than the filtration rate for mussels in the plankton
treatment (1.59+0.10 cells mL-1g-1hr-1 and 0.87+0.07 cells mL-1g-1hr-1 after two hours and four
hours, respectively).

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Discussion
An altered filtration rate in response to a change in diet quantity and quality has been
observed for Mytilus edulis individuals in the past in studies (e.g. Hing Wong and Levinton
(2004); Strohmeier et al. (2009); Bracken et al. (2012)) and was expected to be found in this
study. M. edulis did exhibit a difference in filtration rate between a plankton diet treatment and a
fucoid zygote diet treatment over time during experimental exposure; a higher rate of filtration
was observed in the fucoid zygote treatment and after one hour of exposure. These results may
indicate a physiological response by M. edulis to different diet qualities and quantities similar to
the results of Hing Wong and Levinton (2004).
When hunger was satiated, the filtration rate of M. edulis individuals was expected to
decrease or stop altogether. The expectation was that mussels would feed immediately when
given a food source, results supported by a study by Maire et al. (2007). Mussels are known to
physiologically regulate their filtration rate over time in response to changes in diet quality or
quantity (Hing Wong and Levinton 2004); there is also a possibility that mussels select for algae
over detritus and silt in the water column (Clausen and Riisgard 1996). The rate of seston
depletion by a mussel increases and decreases accordingly with an increase or decrease in food
availability in order to conserve the maximum amount of energy (Clausen and Riisgard 1996,
Strohmeier et al. 2009). Mussels and other bivalves have the ability to significantly decrease the
seston concentration in a given volume of water (Grant et al. 2007). In both the plankton diet
treatment and the fucoid zygote diet treatment, the filtration rate decreased over time as hunger
was satiated and the seston concentration decreased. This result supported the hypothesis that
filtration rate would decrease over time, and was consistent with the results of Grant et al. (2007)
which may indicate that mussels may sense seston depletion with time. A decrease in filtration

13

rate in both diets not only indicated that both of the diets could satiate the hunger of the mussel,
but also that both potentially did so quickly in order to trigger a response to decrease the
filtration rate in the mussel. Contrastingly, a decrease in filtration rate over time could also be in
response to the decrease in cells mL-1 over time.
A mussels filtration rate was expected to be the highest in a diet consisting of only
phytoplankton (as opposed to phytoplankton, zooplankton, and detritus; Clausen and Riisgard
1996). On the contrary, the filtration rate of M. edulis individuals was shown to be the highest in
a diet consisting of both phytoplankton and zooplankton, as opposed to a diet consisting of only
one or the other (Hing Wong and Levinton 2004). Studies have shown that M. edulis individuals
alter their filtration rate depending on food availability in order to increase their metabolism and
achieve the maximum growth rate (Clausen and Riisgard 1996; Hing Wong and Levinton 2004;
Strohmeier et al. 2009). Environments containing an abundance of phytoplankton promote the
maximum growth rate for M. edulis (Bracken et al. 2012). In environments with a low natural
seston concentration, the mussel may reduce filtration rate in order to conserve energy and
reduce consumption (Strohmeier et al. 2009). In this study, the results showed that the filtration
rates were the opposite of expected: the filtration rate in the fucoid zygote diet treatment was
significantly higher after one hour than the filtration rate in the phytoplankton and zooplankton
diet treatment. If a higher filtration rate is indicative of an optimal seston concentration with a
high nutrient concentration, the results of the study demonstrated that zygotes may be a higher
nutrient diet for mussels than plankton which was expected.
Plankton is not always available to mussels in high quantities in the wild (Bracken et al.
2012). In environment where the plankton concentration is too low to promote a maximum
growth rate for mussels, fucoid zygotes may be a viable alternative or supplement to the plankton

14

diet. The high reproductive success of Fucus vesiculosus (Berndt et al. 2002) can prevent
settlement of all of the zygotes which may in turn be ingested by bivalves including M. edulis in
a similar manner to the ingestion of bivalve larvae found in a study by Lehane and Davenport
(2004). The higher filtration rate in the zygote treatment likely suggests that mussels respond to
the presence of a high nutrient diet by increasing filtration to maximize growth; a study exposing
mussels to diets containing both plankton and fucoid zygotes could confirm this. Although
zygotes are a supplementary food source, F. vesiculosus is reproductive in the fall which limits
this option to the colder seasons. Due to the photosynthetic properties of phytoplankton, there is
a likelihood that the plankton concentration and primary production naturally decrease during the
fall and winter months (Grant et al. 2007), potentially creating a need for mussels to feed on the
high nutrient zygote diet that is available in those seasons.
Measurements in this study were taken in similar units to comparative literature. A study
by Clausen and Riisgard in 1996 used the units of cells mL-1 for cell concentration which were
also used in this study. Clausen and Riisgard (1996) also measured filtration rate in the units of
mL min-1 ind-1. The units for filtration rate in this study were cells mL-1 g-1 hr-1. Although the
units were not the same, the units in this study accounted for cells ingested and the comparative
study did not.
A potential limitation of this study is that the cell concentration were unnaturally low
(approximately one-eighth of the natural concentration found in Penobscot Bay). A study by
Clausen and Riisgard (1996) observed a low filtration rate in a lab environment containing an
unnaturally high concentration of cells. Mussels may decrease their filtration rates in cell
concentrations that are not optimal, so a concentration that is either unnaturally high or
unnaturally low could cause a decreased filtration rate, especially in a lab setting.

15

An experiment with a third diet consisting of larvae from another bivalve could be an
addition to the results of this study. Bivalves exhibited larviphagy (a form of cannibalism in
which a bivalve ingests the larvae of another bivalve) in a study by Lehane and Davenport
(2004); the bivalve larvae were completely digested a majority of the time, so there is a potential
that bivalve larvae are a high nutrient food source as well. The use of bivalve larvae could be an
alternative diet similar to fucoid zygotes.
In addition to observing the filtration rate of M. edulis in diet treatments other than the
ones used in this study, it may be beneficial to observe changes in filtration rate throughout
seasons. As previously mentioned, phytoplankton are less productive in the fall (Grant et al.
2007) and their abundance may decrease in the colder months. Due to the reproductive nature of
F. vesiculosus (Berndt et al. 2002), the population increases during those months. A
determination of the abundance of both plankton and fucoid zygotes throughout the seasons
could be beneficial in determining when mussels may need another food source available to
them. M. edulis was shown to physiologically adapt to changes in the environment throughout
the seasons in a study by Lesser et al. (2010), so there is potential that changes in diet abundance
would have an effect on mussels throughout the year. A seasonal study would likely be better
suited in the wild than in the laboratory environment such as the one used for this study; there
seasonal fluctuations in temperature, salinity, and currents that would be difficult to simulate.
Bivalve molluscs, such as M. edulis, are responsible for approximately two thirds of
global fisheries production (Aquaculture 2014). M. edulis is commonly farmed throughout North
America and Europe (FAO Fisheries Statistics 2006). Maintaining plankton at an optimal
concentration could maximize the growth rate in a farming environment (Clausen and Riisgard
1996; Grant et al. 2007). An increasing issue with farms is that suspension-feeding bivalves

16

cause a high level of seston depletion (a decline in the plankton population as a result), especially
in a small area (Grant et al. 2007), that has the capability of altering the surrounding ecosystem.
A change in the ecosystem could have a negative impact on the organisms that live there. If an
additional food source were added in the vicinity of mussel farms, there may be a decrease in
seston depletion that could prevent such changes. In addition to preventing seston depletion, the
introduction of another food source could promote a higher growth rate which would be ideal for
production in a farming environment. The growth of F. vesiculosus in M. edulis farms has the
potential to increase filtration rate, and in turn growth rate, during the reproductive season of F.
vesiculosus due to the higher filtration rate observed in a fucoid zygote diet treatment compared
to the filtration rate in the plankton diet treatment.

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Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my project advisor, Dr. Muhlin, for her assistance in project
development, proposal composition, experimental work, and paper writing throughout OS400
and OS401. In addition to Dr. Muhlins assistance throughout the two courses, instruction from
Dr. Alan Verde and Dr. Lauren Sahl was helpful in the development and execution of the project
from start to finish. This project would not have been possible without the help of Pamela
Grindle in material planning and collection. Lastly, I would like to thank Alison Mitchell,
Kristina Kelley, Kevin Kelly, Nathan Rooney, Heather Ponto, Patrick Graham, Dina Bahloul,
Austin Hubbard, and Dillon Davidson for the hours spent in the lab with me as I prepared the
experiment and counted cell concentrations as well as for countless peer revisions on my
developing paper.

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Tables
Table 1. Mussel removal method for each day of data collection in a three day diet experiment.

1 Hour

2 Hours

4 Hours

Mussels to Remove from each Treatment

(Day One)

Mussels to Remove from each Treatment

(Day Two)

Mussels to Remove from each Treatment

(Day Three)

Figures

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Figure 1. A blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, individual in Penobscot Bay, Maine providing a
commensal home to a sea star, algae, and skeleton shrimp (Caprellidae sp.).

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Figure 2. Experimental set up in the Andrews Hall running seawater laboratory. Mussels were
arranged in two rows of ten and air pumps aerated five beakers each. Water level was maintained
at same level as water within the beakers.

3.50
3.00
2.50
2.00

Filtration Rate (ce llsmL-1g-1hr-1)

1.50
1.00
0.50
0.00

Exposure Time (Hours)

Figure 3. Mean filtration rate (cells mL-1g-1hr-1) of Mytilus edulis individuals exposed to a
plankton diet for 1, 2, or 4 hours (Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA, p<0.001, H=25.812, df=2,
n1hour=n2hours=n4hours=10). Histogram bars that do not share letters are significantly different from
one another (Tukey Post-Hoc, p<0.001). Data are mean+SD.

25

5.00

4.50
4.00

p<0.001

3.50

H=25.812

3.00

Filtration Rate (ce llsmL-1g-1hr-1)

2.50
2.00

1.50

1.00
0.50
0.00

Exposure Time

Figure 4. Mean filtration rate (cells mL-1g-1hr-1) of Mytilus edulis individuals exposed to a fucoid
zygote diet for 1, 2, or 4 hours (Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA, p<0.001, H=21.572, df=2,
n1hour=n2hours=n4hours=10). Histogram bars that share letters are not significantly different from one
another (Tukey Post-Hoc, p=0.107). Data are mean+SD.

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5.00

P=0.010
z=2.570

4.50
4.00
3.50
3.00

Filtration Rate (ce llsmL-1g-1hr-1)

2.50
2.00
1.50
1.00
0.50
0.00

Plankton

Zygote

Die t Tre atment

Figure 5. Mean filtration rate of Mytilus edulis individuals exposed to either a plankton diet
treatment or a fucoid zygote diet treatment for one hour. Mussels in the fucoid zygote diet
treatment had a significantly (Mann-Whitney U-test, z=2.570, p=0.010, df=18, n=20) higher
filtration rate (cells mL-1g-1hr-1) than mussels in the plankton diet treatment. Data are mean+SD.

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1.75

P=0.545
z=0.605

1.70

1.65

Filtration Rate (ce llsmL-1g-1hr-1)

1.60

1.55

1.50

Plankton

Zygote

Die t Tre atment

Figure 6. Mean filtration rate of Mytilus edulis individuals exposed to either a plankton diet
treatment or a fucoid zygote diet treatment for two hours. There was no significant difference
(Mann-Whitney U-test, z=0.605, p=0.545, df=18, n=20) in filtration rate (cells mL-1g-1hr-1)
between mussels in the plankton diet treatment and mussels in the fucoid zygote diet treatment
after two hours. Data are mean+SD.

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1.05

P=0.0.112
z=1.588

1.00

0.95

Filtration Rate (ce llsmL-1g-1hr-1)

0.90

0.85

0.80

0.75

Plankton

Zygote

Die t Tre atment

Figure 7. Mean filtration rate of Mytilus edulis individuals exposed to either a plankton diet
treatment or a fucoid zygote diet treatment for four hours. There was no significant difference
(Mann-Whitney U-test, z=1.588, p=0.112, df=18, n=20) in filtration rate (cells mL-1g-1hr-1)
between mussels in the plankton diet treatment and mussels in the fucoid zygote diet treatment
after four hours. Data are mean+SD.

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