Growth and survival performances of Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis, Lamarck, 1819) on different depths in Cardak lagoon, Dardanelles

This study was conducted at Cardak Lagoon of Dardanelles between August 2009 and March 2010. The average initial and final length of the Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck,1819) from different depths (0.5 m, 5 m, 10 m) were measured as 9.75± 0.81 mm - 41.21±3.42 mm, 9.76±0.87 mm - 39.64±2.90 mm, 9.95±0.75 mm - 38.13±2.70 mm and 0.11±0.03 g - 6.56±1.82 g, 0.11±0.03 g - 5.83±1.23 g, 0.11±0.02 g - 4.39±1.00 g, respectively. On the growth of mussels, monthx depth interaction (P = 0.221) and depth (P = 0.078) did not show a significant effect, but months were found to be effective (P = 0.00). The survival rates of the mussels at 0.5 m, 5 m, 10 m depth were determined as 87%, 87% and 76%, respectively. The difference of the survival rates of the mussels with respect to different months was significant (P = 0.011). Nevertheless, the depth had no effect upon the mussel survival rate (P = 0.091). It was confirmed that especially the particulate organic matter (POM) detected in water as well as the particulate inorganic matter (PIM) played a significant role in addition to the slight role that the salinity had on the growth performance of the mussels.