Mytilus californianus

California mussel, Mytilus californianus-, soft parts ... 

The half-time persistence (Tb 1/2) of zinc in whole molluscs is extremely variable, and reported to range from 4 days in the common mussel (Mytilus edulis) to 650 days in the duck mussel (Anodonta nutalliana) intermediate values were 23 to 40 days in limpet (Littorina irroratea), 76 days in the California mussel (Mytilus californianus), and 300 days in the Pacific oyster (NAS 1979). Zinc persistence in selected organs also shows considerable variability and may be significantly different from Tb 1/2 values seen in whole animal. For example, the Tb 1/2 of zinc in... 

Histological studies and investigations of disposition processes are being coupled in order to assess the condition of populations of California mussels Mytilus californianus. Whether results of future studies of this sort can be used diagnostically to reveal the presence of chemical stressors in the environment and contribute to evaluation of their impact is a concern which motivates much of our experimental work. 

Mussels. Mytilus californianus were usually collected at low tide in the rocky, intertidal zone of Schoolhouse Beach near Bodega Bay (Sonoma Co.) on the central California coast. Other sites have included Salt Point, Bodega Head, and Fort Bragg. Animals were used on the coast or transported to Davis where they were maintained in aerated aquaria containing Instant 0ceanR Synthetic Sea Salt (1.025 specific gravity, 11°C, 12/12 L/D). Except as noted, mussels were used within 2 weeks. 

Zhao H, Robertson NB, Jewhurst SA, Waite JH. Probing the adhesive footprints of Mytilus californianus byssus. J Biol Chem 2006 281 11090-11096. 

Another category of thermal effect on distribution patterns involves temperature-depen-dent rates of predation. Sanford (1999) demonstrated that predation by the sea star Pisaster ochraceus on Mytilus californianus was remarkably temperature-dependent. When water temperatures increased from approximately 8-9°C to 11-12°C, rates of predation by Pisaster increased severalfold. A rapid clearing of mussel beds by P. ochraceus occurred if warm temperatures persisted. 

Best understood of the invertebrate adhesive-mediated attachment mechanisms is that of the common blue mussel, Myiilus edulis, and its close relative, Mytilus californianus L. The mechanism includes the byssus, an acellular proteinaceous organ produced by glands inside the mussel, combined with a delivery system that secretes the byssus efficiently underwater. The protein that is the functional unit of the adhesive mixture was first purified from the gland where it originates and characterized by Waite and Tanzer (i). Called mussel adhesive protein (MAP), it is a high molecular weight (120,000 10,000 MW) basic protein,... 

Eufemia, N. A. and Epel, D. (2000) Induction of the multixenobiotic defence mechanism (MXR), P-glycoprotein, in the mussel Mytilus californianus as a general cellular response to environmental stresses. Aquat. Toxicol., 49, 89-100. 

Cherr, G.N., J. Shoffner-McGee, and J.M. Shenker. 1990. Method for assessing fertilization and embryonic/larval development in toxicity tests using the California mussel (Mytilus californianus). Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 9 1137-1145. 

Saxidomus giganteus, Mytilus californianus, Gonyaulax catenella... 

Mytilus californianus Total PCB Southern California (USA) 0.01-0.16" Young et al. (1976)... 

Krieger RI, Gee SJ, Lim LO, Ross JH, Wilson A (1979) Disposition of toxic substances in mussels (Mytilus californianus) preliminary metabolic and histologic studies. In Khan MAQ, Lech JJ, Menn JJ (eds) Pesticide and xenobiotic metabolism in aquatic organisms. Am Chem Soc Symp Ser 99 259-277... 

AHMED M and SPARKS A K (1970) Chromosome number, structure and autosomal polymorphism in the marine mussels Mytilus edulis and Mytilus californianus. Biol Bull 138,1-13. 

Zhao, H., Waite, J.H., 2006. linking adhesive and structural proteins in the attachment plaque of Mytilus californianus. J. Biol. Chem. 281, 26150—26158. 

Accumulation of PAHs over a short period of time appears to allow rapid elimination, especially for LPAHs, when the animal is placed in water of reduced concentration. For example, mussels (Mytilus edulis) exposed during the first 5 d of an oil spill accumulated high tissue concentrations of hydrocarbons, but after 1 wk in cleaner waters were able to return to background levels (DiSalvo et al. 1975). These authors also found that mussels (Mytilus californianus) from a reference area exposed to San Francisco Bay water for 3 mon rapidly accumulated hydrocarbons and were able to eliminate 90% of their acquired burden of aromatic hydrocarbons ( 80 lig/g dry wt) after 5 wk in clean water. 

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