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First published online January 25, 2005
Journal of Experimental Biology 208, 505-513 (2005)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2005
doi: 10.1242/jeb.01415

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Behavioural response to the bioavailability of inorganic mercury in the hydrothermal mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus

Enikõ Kádár^*, Valentina Costa, Ricardo S. Santos and Humberto Lopes

IMAR Centre of the University of Azores, Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, 9900 Horta, Portugal

View larger version (9K): [in a new window]   Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of the apparatus used for monitoring shell gaping of the vent mussel B. azoricus consisting of (a) a pair of electric sensors attached to the edge of the shell that permits free movements of the animal; (b) experimental closed-system aquarium housing 20 animals; (c) signal amplifier and (d) computer interface that uses the signal analysis system Signalview (Real Time Devices USA, Inc., 1994) to produce the output (e), the `mussel actograph'.

View larger version (12K): [in a new window]   Fig. 2. Total Hg concentration in the soft tissues (gill, digestive gland, mantle and foot) and byssus threads of the vent mussel B. azoricus kept in seawater for 3 weeks (Control), followed by daily exposure to 20 µg l-1 inorganic Hg for 3 weeks (Exposure) followed by transfer to Hg-free seawater for an additional 3 weeks (Recovery). Vertical bars represent mean concentrations ± S.E.M. (N=15) in animals dissected at the end of each week of Control, Exposure and Recovery. Statistical differences between tissue levels at different experimental times was tested by one-way analysis of variance. Columns with the same letters are not significantly different according to a S-N-K multiple range test (P<0.05).

View larger version (14K): [in a new window]   Fig. 3. Total Hg concentration in the pooled pseudofaeces of 20 mussels that were kept in seawater for 3 weeks (Control), then exposed daily to 20 µg l-1 inorganic Hg for 3 weeks (Exposure), followed by transfer to Hg-free seawater for a further 3 weeks (Recovery). Vertical bars represent means ± S.E.M. (N=3).

View larger version (26K): [in a new window]   Fig. 4. Effect of inorganic Hg on (A) the duration and (B) frequency of shell gaping activity of the vent mussel B. azoricus during 3 weeks in seawater (Control) followed by 3 weeks of daily exposure to 20 µg g-1 inorganic Hg, and an additional 3 weeks in Hg-free seawater (Recovery). Vertical bars represent means of replicate mussels ± S.E.M. (N=3). Statistical significance of Hg on shell gaping was tested by one-way analysis of variance, and post-hoc tests were performed to detect differences at different experimental moments, indicated by asterisks (**P=0.001 and ***P<0.001). See Table 1 for further details.