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Age and Growth of Striped Venus Clam Chamelea gallina (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Mid-Western Adriatic Sea: A Comparison of Three Laboratory Techniques
- Source :
- Frontiers in Marine Science, Vol 7 (2020)
- Publication Year :
- 2020
- Publisher :
- Frontiers Media S.A., 2020.
-
Abstract
- Age and growth studies provide critical data for clam fishery management. Three aging techniques, thin sections and acetate peel replicas – which involve shell sectioning – and surface growth rings were used to estimate the age and growth of Chamelea gallina populations in the mid-western Adriatic Sea. Their results were compared to identify the most reliable and least time-consuming approach. There were no significant differences between the two shell sectioning techniques (χ2 = 4.66, df = 3, p = 0.198), which were described by the same von Bertalanffy (VBF) growth curve parameters (L8 = 43.9, k = 0.26, t0 = −0.84), whereas significantly different L8 and k values were found between the two shell sectioning techniques and surface growth rings (L8: χ2 = 13.62, df = 1, p < 0.001; k: χ2 = 9.18, df = 1, p < 0.002; these statistics refer to the comparison between acetate peels and surface growth rings). The latter approach proved unreliable and error-prone, as it underestimated age and overestimated the growth rate (L8 = 26.4, k = 1.91, t0 = −0.11). Although the thin sections and acetate peel techniques both provide reliable age and growth estimates, the former approach was less time-consuming. Our analyses demonstrated that shell growth is slower in the cold season and in older specimens and that it has slowed down over the past few decades.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 22967745
- Volume :
- 7
- Database :
- Directory of Open Access Journals
- Journal :
- Frontiers in Marine Science
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- edsdoj.bace92ff8d046919f06e6124e174f76
- Document Type :
- article
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.582703