0000000000815004

AUTHOR

José Rafael García-march

Utilization of muddy detritus as organic matter source by the fan mussel Pinna nobilis.

The knowledge of the feeding habits in marine species is fundamental to better understand their relationship with the environment. Although phytoplankton has been traditionally reported as the main food source consumed by the Mediterranean fan mussel Pinna nobilis, recent studies have revealed that detritus represents an important food source for this species. We analysed the degree of acceptance of muddy detritus and the utilisation of its organic matter (OM) by P. nobilis on a group of 21 individuals (30.3-59.7 cm of total shell height (Ht)). The specimens were collected between July and September 2012 in two areas (43°04´25” N; 5°46´7” E and 43°04´34” N; 5°47´32” E) of the Embiez archipe…

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Study of Pinna nobilis growth from inner record: How biased are posterior adductor muscle scars estimates?

abstract Article history:Received 14 June 2011Received in revised form 19 July 2011Accepted 20 July 2011Available online 17 August 2011Keywords:BivalviaEndangered speciesMediterraneanSclerochronologySpain Previous studies have shown that the external growth records of the posterior adductor muscle scar (PAMS)ofthe bivalve Pinna nobilisareincomplete and donot produce accurate ageestimations. We havedeveloped anew methodology to study age and growth using the inner record of the PAMS, which avoids the necessity ofcostly in situ shell measurements or isotopic studies. Using the inner record we identified the positions ofPAMS previously obscured by nacre and estimated the number of missing recor…

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The duplivincular ligament of recent Pinna Nobilis L., 1758: further evidence for pterineid ancestry of the Pinnoidea

A correct interpretation of ligament ontogeny and structure is essential for establishing phylogenetic relationships among higher taxa in the bivalve superorder Pteriomorphia. Recent research on pteriomorphian ligaments has focused on understanding ligament morphospace (Thomas et al., 2000; Ubukata, 2003) and evolutionary pathways. In this regard, studies of the transition from larval to post-larval and adult ligaments (Malchus, 2004) have been especially fruitful. Members of the pteriomorphian superfamily Pinnoidea live with their tapered anterior end buried to varying degrees in sediment. The fan shell Pinna may be buried up to one third of its length (Templado, 2004) (Fig. 1), and Atrina…

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