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Population dynamics of the bivalve Laternula elliptica from Potter Cove, King George Island, South Shetland Islands

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 May 2004

H.-Jörg Urban  and
Guillermo Mercuri
H.-Jörg Urban
Affiliation:
Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (INVEMAR), A.A. 1016, Santa Marta, Colombia, e-mail: jurban@invemar.org.co
Guillermo Mercuri
Affiliation:
Instituto Antartico Argentina, Cerrito 1248, 1010 Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Abstract

Body size, geographical distribution and biomass make Laternula elliptica one of the most important bivalve species of the Antarctic. A complete study on the population dynamics (reproduction cycle, growth, mortality and productivity) of this species from King George Island gave growth parameters for the von-Bertalanffy-growth-function of: L∞ = 112.2 mm, K = 0.160 yr 1, t0 = 0.000 yr. Total mortality was estimated as Z = 0.392 yr−1. Somatic production and mean biomass of two distinct sub-populations were 8.7 and 67.3 g AFDW m−2 yr−1 at Beach & Glacier and 20.0 and 88.6 g AFDW m−2 yr−1 at Punta Elefante. The following P / B values were calculated; Beach & Glacier = 0.129, Punta Elefante = 0.226. It is suggested that these differences are linked to mortality caused by icebergs which is expected to be higher at the shallower Punta Elefante site.

Keywords

Maritime AntarcticgrowthLaternula ellipticamortalitypopulation dynamicsproductionreproduction
Type
Papers—Life Sciences and Oceanography
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 10 , Issue 2 , June 1998 , pp. 153 - 160
Copyright
© Antarctic Science Ltd 1998

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