Mytilus: californianus, 190 edulis

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... 

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,... 

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. 

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. 

A few studies have shown that the sources of PAHs may be mixed. The bivalves Mytilus edulis, M, californianus, and Crassostrea sp.) sampled in a mussel watch program for 1976-1978 contained elevated concentrations of aromatic hydrocarbons with phenanthrene distributions indicative of petroleum sources (Farrington et al. 1983). They also contained elevated pyrene, indicating a pyrogenic PAH source hence, it was concluded that tissue burdens can show evidence of both types of PAHs. 

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