Feeding Trial with Different Families of Chilean Blue Mussel, Mytilus chilensis Larvae

Abstract

The effect of different concentrations of phytoplankton as food for different groups of Chilean blue mussel, Mytilus chilensis, larvae in terms of the increase in shell length over a 20-day period were studied. Three concentrations (6,250, 25,000 and 100,000 cell/mL) of microalgae (Isochrysis aff. galbana) were fed to twelve half-sib families. A significant variation in shell size was observed among the treatments within families (P < 0.05), as was observed between similar treatments among families within males (P < 0.05). Mussel larvae fed I. aff. galbana exhibit a marked decrease in mortalities when fed increased concentrations of the phytoplankton. These data suggest that the use of I. aff. galbana at sufficient densities (> 25,000 cell/mL) to overcome mortality can benefit the growth of Chilean blue mussel larvae.