Abstract
The ability of the oyster Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin) to filter, ingest and assimilate 14C-labeled Spartina alterniflora as a carbon source was investigated under laboratory conditions. The oyster assimilated crude-fiber carbon extracted from S. alterniflora with an efficiency of approximately 3%. Enteric bacteria did not enhance this process. The annual average (April 1984 to November 1985) of crude fiber in the Choptank River sub-estuary of the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, USA, from which the oysters were collected, was 15.7 μg l-1 (range 4.3 to 34.3 μg l-1). The potential food value of crude fiber to oysters in this system was estimated to be less than 1% of their carbon demand. However, the potential contribution of crude fiber to the carbon requirements of other oyster populations, such as those in southeastern USA, may be as great as 20%, due to higher crudefiber concentrations in the seston.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Literature cited
Bayne, B. L., Newell, R. C. (1983). Physiological energetics of marine molluscs. In: Saleuddin, A. S. M., Wilbur, K. M. (eds.) The Mollusca. Vol. 4. Academic Press, N.Y., p. 407–515
Bayne, B. L., Widdows, J., Newell, R. I. E. (1977). Physiological measurements on estuarine bivalve molluscs in the field. In: Keegan, B. F., Ceidigh, P. O., Boaden, P. J. S. (eds.) Biology of benthic organisms. Pergamon Press, N.Y., p. 57–68
Birkbeck, T. H., McHenery, J. G. (1982). Degradation of bacteria by Mytilus edulis. Mar. Biol. 72: 7–15
Brock, V., Kennedy, V., Brock, A. (1986). Temperature dependency of carbohydrase activity in the hepatopancreas of thirteen estuarine and coastal bivalve species from the North American east coast. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 103: 87–102
Crosby, M. P. (1985). The use of rapid radiolabeling method for measuring ingestion rates of detritiores. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 93: 271–283
Crosby, M. P., Peele, E. R. (1987). Detection of bacterial populations in oyster tissue homogenates using direct microscope counts and thymidine incorporation. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 108: 93–97
Crosby, N. D., Reid, R. G. (1971). Relationships between food, physiology and cellulose digestion in the bivalvia. Can. J. Zool. 49: 617–622
Dame, R., Chrzanowski, T., Bildstein, K., Kjerfve, B., McKellar, H., Nelson, D., Spurrier, J., Stevenson, S., Vernberg, J., Zingmark, R. (1986). The outwelling hypothesis and North Inlet, South Carolina. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 33: 217–229
Darnell, R. M. (1967). Organic detritus in relation to the estuarine ecosystem. Publs Am. Ass. Advmt Sci. 83: 376–382
Dubois, M., Gilles, K. A., Hamilton, J. K., Rebers, P. A., Smith F. (1956). Colorimetric method for determination of sugars and related substances. Analyt. Chem. 28: 350–356
Fenchel, T. (1970). Studies on the decomposition of organic detritus derived from the turtle grass Thallassia testudinium. Limnol. Oceanogr. 15: 14–20
Findlay, S., Tenore, K. (1982). Nitrogen source for a detritivore: detritus substrate versus associated microbes. Science, N.Y. 218: 371–372
Fong, W., Mann, K. H. (1980). Role of gut flora in the transfer of amino acids through marine food chain. Can. J. Fish. aquat. Sciences 37: 88–96
Frankenberg, D., Smith, Jr., K. L. (1967). Coprophagy in marine animals. Limnol. Oceanogr. 12: 443–450
Fuhrman, J. A., Azam, F. (1980). Bacterioplankton secondary production estimates for coastal waters of British Columbia, Antarctica, and California. Appl. envirl Microbiol. 39: 1085–1095
Fuhrman, J. A., Azam, F. (1982). Thymidine incorporation as a measure of heterotrophic bacterioplankton production in marine surface waters: evaluation and field results. Mar. Biol. 66: 109–120
Galtsoff, P. S. (1964). The American oyster Crassostrea virginica Gmelin. Fishery Bull. Fish Wildl. Serv. U.S. 64: 1–480
George, D. (1964). Organic matter available to the polychaete Cirriformia tentaculata (Montagu) living in an intertidal mud flat. Limnol. Oceanogr. 9: 453–455
Heinle, D. R., Flemer, D. A. (1976). Flows of materials between poorly flooded tidal marshes and an estuary. Mar. Biol. 35: 359–373
Hobbie, J. E., Daley, R. J., Jasper, S. (1977). Use of Nuclepore filters for counting bacteria by fluorescence microscopy. Appl. envirl Microbiol. 33: 1225–1228
Johannes, R. H., Satomi, M. (1966). Composition and nutritive value of fecal pellets of a marine crustacean. Limnol. Oceanogr. 11: 191–197
Jørgensen, C. B. (1966). Biology of suspension feeding. Pergamon Press, Oxford
Kirby-Smith, W. W. (1970). Growth of the scallops Argopectin irradians concentricus (Say) and Argopectin gibbons (Linné), as influenced by food and temperature. Ph. D. thesis. Duke University, Durham, N.C.
Kirby-Smith, W. W. (1976). The detritus problem and the feeding and digestion of an estuarine organism. In: M. Wiley (ed.) Estuarine processes, Vol. I. Academic Press, N.Y., p. 469–479
Koopmans, J. J. C. (1970). Cellulases in molluscs. I. The nature of the cellulases in Helix pomata and Cardium edule. Neth. J. Zool. 20: 445–463
Kreeger, D. A., Langdon, C. J., Newell, R. I. E. (1988). Utilization of refractory cellulosic material derived from Spartina alterniflora (Loisel) by the ribbed mussel Geukensia demissa (Dilliwyn). Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 42: 171–179
Lampert, W., Gabriel, W. (1984). Tracer kinetics in Daphnia: an improved two-compartment model and experimental test. Arch. Hydrobiol. 100: 1–20
Langdon, C. J. Bolton, E. T. (1984). A microparticulate diet for a suspension feeding bivalve mollusc, Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin). J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 82: 239–258
Langdon, C. J. Siegfried, C. A. (1984). Progress in the development of artificial diets for bivalve filter feeders. Aquaculture, Amsterdam 39: 135–154
Lopez, G. R., Cheng, I. (1983). Synoptic measurements of ingestion rate, ingestion selectivity, and absorption efficiency of natural foods in the deposit-feeding molluscs Nucula annulata (Bivalvia) and Hydrobia totteni (Gastropoda). Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 11: 55–62
Lucas, M. I., Newell, R. C. (1984). Utilization of saltmarsh grass detritus by two estuarine bivalves: carbohydrase activity of crystalline style enzymes of the oyster Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin) and the mussel Geukensia demissa (Dilliwyn). Mar. Biol. Lett. 5: 275–290
Mathers, N. F. (1972). The tracing of a natural algal food labeled with a carbon-14 isotope through the digestive tract of Ostrea edulis. Proc. malac. Soc. Lond. 40: 115–124
Mayasich, S. A., Smucker, R. A. (1986). Glycosidases in the American oyster, Crassostrea virginica Gmelin, digestive tract. J. exp. mar. Biol. Ecol. 95: 95–98
Newell, R. C. (1965). The role of detritus in the nutrition of two marine deposit feeders, the prosobranch Hydrobia ulvae and the bivalve Macoma balthica. Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 144: 25–45
Newell, R. C., Field, J. G. (1983). The contribution of bacteria and detritus to carbon and nitrogen flow in a benethic community. Mar. Biol. Lett. 4: 23–36
Newell, R. I. E., Langdon, C. J. (1986). Digestion and absorption of refractory carbon from the plant Spartina alterniflora (Loisel) by the oyster Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin). Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 34: 105–115
Owen, G. (1966) Feeding. In: Wilbur, K. M., Yonge, C. M. (eds.) Physiology of Mollusca. Vol. II. Academic Press, N.Y., p. 1–51
Payne, E. W., Thorpe, N. A., Donaldson, E. M. (1972). Cellulolytic activity and a study of the bacterial population in the digestive tract of Scrobicularia plana (Da Costa). Proc. malac. Soc. Lond. 40: 147–160
Peterson, B. J., Howarth, R. W., Garritt, R. H. (1985). Multiple stable isotopes used to track the flow of organic matter in estuarine food webs. Science, N.Y. 227: 1361–1363
Peterson, B. J., Howarth, R. W., Garritt, R. H. (1986). Sulfur and carbon isotopes as tracers of salt-marsh organic matter flow. Ecology 67: 865–874
Savage, R. E. (1925). The food of the oyster. Fishery Invest., Lond. (Ser. 2) 3: 1–50
Seiderer, L. J. Newell, R. C. (1985). Relative significance of phytoplankton bacteria plant detritus as carbon and nitrogen resources for the kelp bed filter-feeder Choromytilus meridionalis. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 22: 127–139
Seiderer, L. J., Newell, R. C., Cook, P. A. (1982). Quantitative significance of style enzymes from two marine mussels (Choromytilus meriodionalis Krauss and Perna perna Linnaeas) in relation to diet. Mar. Biol. Lett. 3: 257–271
Strickland, J. D. H., Parsons, T. R. (1972). A practical handbook of seawater analysis 2nd ed. Bull. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 167: 1–310
Stuart, V. (1982). Absorbed ration, respiratory costs and resultant scope for growth in the mussel Aulacomya ater(Molina) fed on a diet of kelp detritus of different ages. Mar. Biol. Lett. 3: 289–306
Stuart, V., Field, J. G. Newell, R. C. (1982). Evidence for absorption of kelp detritus by the ribbed mussel Aulacomya ater using a new 51Cr-labeled microsphere technique. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 9: 263–271
Tenore, K. R. (1977). Utilization of aged detritus from different sources by the polychaete Capitella capitata. Mar. Biol. 44: 51–55
Tenore, K. R. (1981). Organic nitrogen and caloric content of detritus. I. Utilization by the deposit feeding polychaete Capitella capitata. Estuar. cstl mar. Sci. 12: 39–47
Tenore, K. R. (1983). What controls the availability to animals of detritus derived from vascular plants: organic nitrogen enrichment or caloric availability? Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 10: 307–309
Tenore, K. R., Cammen, L., Findlay, S. E. G., Phillips, N. (1982). Perspectives of research on detritus: do factors controlling the availability of detritus to macroconsumers depend on its source? J. mar. Res. 40: 473–490
Van Valkenburg, S. D., Jones, J. K., Heinle, D. R. (1978). A comparison by size class and volume of detritus versus phytoplankton in Chesapeake Bay. Estuar. cstl mar. Sci. 6: 569–582
Wainwright, P. F., Mann, K. H. (1982). Effect of antimicrobial substances on the ability of the mysid shrimp Mysis stenolepis to digest cellulose. Mar. Biol. Prog. Ser. 7: 309–313
Walne, P. R. (1970). Studies on the food value of nineteen genera of algae to juvenile bivalves of the genera Ostrea, Crassostrea, Mercenaria and Mytilus. Fishery Invest., Lond. (Ser. 2) 126: 1–62
Webb, K. L., Chu, Fu-Lin (1982). Phytoplankton as a food source for bivalve larvae. In: Pruder, G. D., Langdon, C. J., Conklin, D. E. (eds.) Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Aquaculture Nutrition. World Mariculture Society, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, p. 272–291. (Spec. Publ. No. 2)
Wetzel, R. L. (1977). Carbon resources of a benthic salt marsh invertebrate, Nassarius obsoletes Say (Mollusca: Nassariiudae). In: Wiley, M. (ed.) Estuarine processes. Vol. II. Academic Press, N.Y., p. 293–308
Williams, P. (1982). Detritus utilization by Mytilus edulis. Estuar. cstl Shelf Sci. 12: 739–746
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by J. M. Lawrence, Tampa
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Crosby, M.P., Langdon, C.J. & Newell, R.I.E. Importance of refractory plant material to the carbon budget of the oyster Crassostrea virginica . Mar. Biol. 100, 343–352 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00391150
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00391150