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The mussel Mytilus: Ecology, physiology, genetics and culture
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Aquaculture 127 ( 1994) 283-285
Book Review
The mussel Mytilus The Mussel Mytilus: Ecology, Physiology, Genetics and Culture. Elizabeth Gosling (Edi-
tor). DAFS vol. 25, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1992, xiii + 589 pp., price Dfl. 240.000, ISBN 0-444-88752-O. It is perhaps appropriate that the mussel should draw repeated attention as a literary subject in the scientific press because it occupies such an important position in world rankings from the cultivation, economic and ecological points of view. Elsevier’s subject matter in its series of 25 books entitled Developments in Aquaculture and Fisheries Science since its inception in 1976 has broached the subject matter in a major way in three of these volumes. This latest book has arrived 12 years after the North American perspective was published in 1980 and 16 years after Korringa shared the subject matter between edible seaweed, mussel and clam production in 1976. Much can happen in science within the timescale of 12 years and so it is appropriate that new information is presented to the discerning professional, academic, aquaculturist and public at large. The subject matter, in twelve chapters and 589 pages, is written by 17 authors, all of whom emanate from the northern hemisphere bar one. It is appropriate that the odd man out, Bob Hickman of New Zealand, has been chosen to describe the world aquaculture scene, because of his country’s emergence as a major mussel producer in recent years. Betty Gosling, as well as editing the book, is author of two chapters, Systematics and Geographical Distribution and Genetics of Mytilus. She describes advances in determining differences between forms of Mytilus world-wide using morphometric and genetic data of which electrophoretic markers (protein products of gene loci) are proving a valuable but not foolproof tool. Prior to the use of electrophoresis, much confusion in mussel taxonomy existed because of reliance on shell morphometrics to determine species differences. The study of allozyme variation has gone some way in helping to understand the systematics of the genus. Electrophoretic studies provide the evidence that there are differences in the level of genetic variability between stocks or populations of mussels. It would seem, however, that the method does not provide a good indication of the heritability of a phenotypic trait useful for the aquaculturist who would be better advised to look to reciprocal transplant experiments to determine whether differences between populations are environmentally induced or inherited. Much of the variation in the body form seen in living and fossil bivalves has been due to the evolution of the triangular heteromyarian and circular monomyarian forms with ensuing 0044-8486/94/$07.00 5 1994 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved SSDI0044-8486(94)00196-O
284
Book review /Aquaculture 127 (1994) 283-285
reduction or loss of the anterior adductor muscle. Morton’s chapter describes recent thinking on these evolutionary trends in which neotenous retention of the larval byssus into adult life and selection of the posterior inhalant water current were crucial to the development of the heteromyarian form. Understanding of mytilid larval biology, their food and to a certain extent their environmental requirements has been facilitated by the advances in laboratory-based cultivation techniques in recent years. Lutz and Kennish provide a nice review of larval ecology and morphology describing the use of scanning electron microscopy as a relatively recent aid for describing larval and postlarval shell characteristics. Such descriptions have provided benchmarks for identifying specimens from the plankton and benthos and as an aid for ecological and palaeoecological research. It is appropriate that the success of the Mytilidae, with its origins back in the Devonian period, and its present world-wide distribution as a dominant space occupier, is covered in the largest chapter of the book. Seed and Suchanek describe the ecological and biological factors which determine the limits within which the group has been able to occupy the many niches which ensure its present day success. Hawkins and Bayne continue the same theme using examples to describe current understanding of physiological energetics and regulation of growth in mussels which enable the group to withstand the myriad of conditions encountered in the coastal waters of its territory. Growth and production are responses to the external environment, of which food plays a large part, and to internal processes which determine maximal capacity for production. Although Mytilidae prefer to live aerobically, they can live anaerobically. Zwaan and Mathieu’s chapter on cellular biochemistry and endocrinology describes an induced anaerobic type of energy metabolism which allows Mytilus spp. to inhabit intertidal and shallow waters subject to considerable variations in aerial exposure, temperature, salinity and oxygen. The ‘Mussel Watch’ concept is updated in Widdows and Donkin’s chapter on Mussels andEnvironmental Contaminants: bioaccumulationandphysiologicalaspects.The ‘Mussel Watch’ monitoring programme developed in the mid-1970’s in response to concern with the contamination of the marine environment from industrial pollution. Although conceived in North America, the idea spread to many other countries in Europe, Australasia and Africa. The mussel’s role as a monitor of environmental pollution is reviewed and some of the factors affecting bioaccumulation of contaminants and their level in mussel tissues in different parts of the world, and the deleterious effects on physiological responses of mussels is discussed. The theme is continued in the following chapter by Livingstone and Pipe with information on the metabolism and toxicity of metal and organic contaminants at the molecular and cellular levels. With world mussel production now exceeding 1 million tonnes per annum from more than 40 countries, public health concerns of contamination from anthropogenic and natural sources is increasingly demanding solutions from administrators and fisheries managers. Sandra Shumway’s chapter gives an up-to-date review of bacterial, viral and toxic algal blooms responsible for causing ill-health to the public consumer and the ever increasing need to adopt comprehensive monitoring protocols, regulatory controls and efficient depuration facilities.
Book review/Atquaculture 127 (1994) 283-285
285
The final chapter of the book, Diseases and Parasites of Mussels by Susan Bower, reviews the organisms found in association with mussels that may be responsible for disease or debilitation and recognises the fact that the high mortalities encountered by the oyster industry have not been found in mussels. This book provides excellent coverage of many areas of interest to the academic, administrator, researcher and cultivator alike. The 2000 citations are mostly up to date, with half of the chapters using references of which 50% have been written in the last decade. The book is available from Elsevier Science: (i) P.O. Box 1991, 1000 BZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (ii) P.O. Box 945, Madison Square Station, New York, NY 10159, USA. B.E. SPENCER Fisheries Laboratory, Conwy, Gwvnedd LL32 8UB. UK
Aquaculture 127 ( 1994) 283-285
Book Review
The mussel Mytilus The Mussel Mytilus: Ecology, Physiology, Genetics and Culture. Elizabeth Gosling (Edi-
tor). DAFS vol. 25, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1992, xiii + 589 pp., price Dfl. 240.000, ISBN 0-444-88752-O. It is perhaps appropriate that the mussel should draw repeated attention as a literary subject in the scientific press because it occupies such an important position in world rankings from the cultivation, economic and ecological points of view. Elsevier’s subject matter in its series of 25 books entitled Developments in Aquaculture and Fisheries Science since its inception in 1976 has broached the subject matter in a major way in three of these volumes. This latest book has arrived 12 years after the North American perspective was published in 1980 and 16 years after Korringa shared the subject matter between edible seaweed, mussel and clam production in 1976. Much can happen in science within the timescale of 12 years and so it is appropriate that new information is presented to the discerning professional, academic, aquaculturist and public at large. The subject matter, in twelve chapters and 589 pages, is written by 17 authors, all of whom emanate from the northern hemisphere bar one. It is appropriate that the odd man out, Bob Hickman of New Zealand, has been chosen to describe the world aquaculture scene, because of his country’s emergence as a major mussel producer in recent years. Betty Gosling, as well as editing the book, is author of two chapters, Systematics and Geographical Distribution and Genetics of Mytilus. She describes advances in determining differences between forms of Mytilus world-wide using morphometric and genetic data of which electrophoretic markers (protein products of gene loci) are proving a valuable but not foolproof tool. Prior to the use of electrophoresis, much confusion in mussel taxonomy existed because of reliance on shell morphometrics to determine species differences. The study of allozyme variation has gone some way in helping to understand the systematics of the genus. Electrophoretic studies provide the evidence that there are differences in the level of genetic variability between stocks or populations of mussels. It would seem, however, that the method does not provide a good indication of the heritability of a phenotypic trait useful for the aquaculturist who would be better advised to look to reciprocal transplant experiments to determine whether differences between populations are environmentally induced or inherited. Much of the variation in the body form seen in living and fossil bivalves has been due to the evolution of the triangular heteromyarian and circular monomyarian forms with ensuing 0044-8486/94/$07.00 5 1994 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved SSDI0044-8486(94)00196-O
284
Book review /Aquaculture 127 (1994) 283-285
reduction or loss of the anterior adductor muscle. Morton’s chapter describes recent thinking on these evolutionary trends in which neotenous retention of the larval byssus into adult life and selection of the posterior inhalant water current were crucial to the development of the heteromyarian form. Understanding of mytilid larval biology, their food and to a certain extent their environmental requirements has been facilitated by the advances in laboratory-based cultivation techniques in recent years. Lutz and Kennish provide a nice review of larval ecology and morphology describing the use of scanning electron microscopy as a relatively recent aid for describing larval and postlarval shell characteristics. Such descriptions have provided benchmarks for identifying specimens from the plankton and benthos and as an aid for ecological and palaeoecological research. It is appropriate that the success of the Mytilidae, with its origins back in the Devonian period, and its present world-wide distribution as a dominant space occupier, is covered in the largest chapter of the book. Seed and Suchanek describe the ecological and biological factors which determine the limits within which the group has been able to occupy the many niches which ensure its present day success. Hawkins and Bayne continue the same theme using examples to describe current understanding of physiological energetics and regulation of growth in mussels which enable the group to withstand the myriad of conditions encountered in the coastal waters of its territory. Growth and production are responses to the external environment, of which food plays a large part, and to internal processes which determine maximal capacity for production. Although Mytilidae prefer to live aerobically, they can live anaerobically. Zwaan and Mathieu’s chapter on cellular biochemistry and endocrinology describes an induced anaerobic type of energy metabolism which allows Mytilus spp. to inhabit intertidal and shallow waters subject to considerable variations in aerial exposure, temperature, salinity and oxygen. The ‘Mussel Watch’ concept is updated in Widdows and Donkin’s chapter on Mussels andEnvironmental Contaminants: bioaccumulationandphysiologicalaspects.The ‘Mussel Watch’ monitoring programme developed in the mid-1970’s in response to concern with the contamination of the marine environment from industrial pollution. Although conceived in North America, the idea spread to many other countries in Europe, Australasia and Africa. The mussel’s role as a monitor of environmental pollution is reviewed and some of the factors affecting bioaccumulation of contaminants and their level in mussel tissues in different parts of the world, and the deleterious effects on physiological responses of mussels is discussed. The theme is continued in the following chapter by Livingstone and Pipe with information on the metabolism and toxicity of metal and organic contaminants at the molecular and cellular levels. With world mussel production now exceeding 1 million tonnes per annum from more than 40 countries, public health concerns of contamination from anthropogenic and natural sources is increasingly demanding solutions from administrators and fisheries managers. Sandra Shumway’s chapter gives an up-to-date review of bacterial, viral and toxic algal blooms responsible for causing ill-health to the public consumer and the ever increasing need to adopt comprehensive monitoring protocols, regulatory controls and efficient depuration facilities.
Book review/Atquaculture 127 (1994) 283-285
285
The final chapter of the book, Diseases and Parasites of Mussels by Susan Bower, reviews the organisms found in association with mussels that may be responsible for disease or debilitation and recognises the fact that the high mortalities encountered by the oyster industry have not been found in mussels. This book provides excellent coverage of many areas of interest to the academic, administrator, researcher and cultivator alike. The 2000 citations are mostly up to date, with half of the chapters using references of which 50% have been written in the last decade. The book is available from Elsevier Science: (i) P.O. Box 1991, 1000 BZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (ii) P.O. Box 945, Madison Square Station, New York, NY 10159, USA. B.E. SPENCER Fisheries Laboratory, Conwy, Gwvnedd LL32 8UB. UK