- Title
- Effects of zone and wave exposure on population structure and recruitment of the mussel (Perna perna) in South Africa
- Creator
- Lindsay, Justin Robert
- ThesisAdvisor
- McQuaid, Christopher
- Subject
- Perna -- South Africa
- Subject
- Perna -- Growth
- Subject
- Mussels -- South Africa
- Date
- 1999
- Type
- Thesis
- Type
- Masters
- Type
- MSc
- Identifier
- vital:5685
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005371
- Identifier
- Perna -- South Africa
- Identifier
- Perna -- Growth
- Identifier
- Mussels -- South Africa
- Description
- Certain aspects of the population dynamics of the brown mussel, Perna perna, were examined at 18 sites along the south coast of South African. Specifically the effects of wave exposure and tidal height were examined in relation to mussel size, biomass and density. A single set of samples was removed from each of the 18 sites, over three spring tide cycles. Sites were classified as exposed or sheltered prior to sampling. Principal component analysis (PCA) (based on mussel length data) and length frequency histograms revealed that there was a general decrease in the modal size of the adult mussel cohort with an increase in tidal height. The effects of exposure on mussel size decreased higher on the shore. On the exposed low shore the maximum size of mussels had a mean length of 102.3mm and was significantly larger (ANOVA, p<0.0001) than that for mussels on sheltered shores (86.7mm). The difference between mean maximum lengths of mussels on the mid shore was not so great, exposed sites had a average mean maximum length of 79.9, while on the sheltered shores it was 68.4mm. On the high shore the difference between the average mean maximum lengths at exposed and sheltered sites was only 3.9mm. The fact that the effects of exposure were greatest on the low shore was also borne out in the PCA. In this analysis low shore exposed and sheltered zones separated into two groups with little overlap, mid shore exposed and sheltered zones were positioned next to each other, and exposed and sheltered high shore zones were clumped together. Densities of adult mussels (>l5mm) were calculated as real densities from randomly placed quads i.e. not from areas of 100% cover. Density decreased up the shore; low, mid and high shore zones were significantly different from each other (ANOVA , p<0.0001; followed by multiple range tests). There was no significant difference between the densities of mussels at exposed and sheltered sites within each zone (ANOVA, p=0.7155). Recruit (
- Format
- 185 p., pdf
- Publisher
- Rhodes University, Faculty of Science, Zoology and Entomology
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Lindsay, Justin Robert
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