Modiolus capax explained

Modiolus capax, common name fat horsemussel, is a species of "horse mussel", a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Mytilidae, the mussels. It was first described to science by American malacologist Timothy Abbott Conrad in 1837.[1] The type specimen was collected in San Diego by Thomas Nuttall.[2]

Fossils of Modiolus capax have been found in Miocene epoch deposits, suggesting that this species is between 5.3 and 20.4 million years old.[3]

Description

Shells of Modiolus capax can reach a length of about, a width of about and a diameter of about .[4] Individuals may weigh up to 144.1g.[5] This species has a quite variable form, but it always shows serrate hairs on the periostracum. The left valve is more inflated than the right one. The external surface of the shell is blue to bright orange brown, while the inside is reddish-violet on the posterior half.[6]

Distribution

This species is present in Santa Cruz, California, to Playa, Peru and in Galapagos Islands.[6] It is found throughout the Gulf of California.[7] Fat horsemussels live is shallow water from the intertidal zone to 25 fathoms. They live on rocks, boulders, and pebbles on the sea bottom and attached to wood pilings. Occasionally they can be found partially buried in mud.[8] [9]

Life history

Fat horse mussels are gonochoric, that is to say that there are two sexes and each individual is either male or female. The reproduce by broadcast spawning, by releasing gametes into the sea where fertilization takes place. In laboratory conditions, a free-swimming veliger develops about 24 hours after fertilization, which develops an umbo about four days later. The pediveliger stage is reach in 10 to 12 days, at which point the animal is 275um long. Settlement to the bottom takes place 3 to 4 days later.[10]

This species is a filter feeder, drawing seawater into its body where it filters out nutrients. It then ejects excess water and waste products into the sea.

Human consumption

Local consumption of fat horsemussels takes place in coastal communities. The cultivation of Modiolus capax in aquaculture has been studied since the 1980s.[11] Among the findings were that this species does not readily settle on the artificial substrates used by the industry and that it is relatively slow-growing.[12] Consequently, this species is among the least promising for aquaculture.[13]

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Modiolus capax (Conrad, 1837). marinespecies.org. 2016-11-05.
  2. Conrad. T. A.. 1837. Descriptions of New Marine Shells, From Upper California. Collected by Thomas Nuttall, esq.. Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 7 (1834-1837). 242–243.
  3. Book: Moore, Ellen James. Tertiary Marine Pelecypods of California and Baja California. U. S. Government Printing Office. 1983. Washington, D.C.. A76.
  4. Sol Felty Light, James T. Carlton The Light and Smith Manual: Intertidal Invertebrates from Central California .to Peru
  5. Roldán-Wong. Nefertiti Taydé. Kidd. Karen A.. Ceballos-Vázquez. Bertha Patricia. Rivera-Camacho. Alma Rosa. Arellano-Martínez. Marcial. 2020-01-01. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in mussels (Modiolus capax) from sites with increasing anthropogenic impact in La Paz Bay, Gulf of California. Regional Studies in Marine Science. en. 33. 100948. 10.1016/j.rsma.2019.100948. 2352-4855. free.
  6. Web site: v.20 (1955) - Allan Hancock Pacific expeditions. - Biodiversity Heritage Library. biodiversitylibrary.org. 2016-11-05.
  7. Web site: Fat Horsemussel. 2017-12-27. Mexico - Fish, Birds, Crabs, Marine Life, Shells and Terrestrial Life. en-US. 2020-04-28.
  8. Web site: Galapagos Species Checklist. Charles Darwin Foundation. en-gb. 2020-04-28.
  9. Book: Keen, A. Myra. Sea Shells of Tropical West America. Stanford University Press. 1958. Stanford, California. 56–57.
  10. Farfán. Claudia. Mungaray. Miguel Robles. Serrano-Guzmán. Saúl Jaime. Seed Production and Growth of Modiolus Capax Conrad (Bivalvia: Mytilidae) in Laboratory Conditions. December 2007. Journal of Shellfish Research. en. 26. 4. 1075–1080. 10.2983/0730-8000(2007)26[1075:SPAGOM]2.0.CO;2. 86571105 . 0730-8000.
  11. Book: Caceres-Martinez, Jorge. [ftp://ftp.library.noaa.gov/noaa_documents.lib/NMFS/TR_NMFS/TR_NMFS_128.pdf Mussel Fishery and Culture in Baja California, Mexico: History, Present Status, and Future]. NOAA. 1997. 41–55.
  12. Aguirre-Hinojosa. E.. 1992-04-01. Settlement And Growth Of The Mussel Modiolus Capax (Conrad) (Bivalvia-Mytilidae) On Artificial Substrates In Bahia De Los Angeles, Baja California, Mexico. Ciencias Marinas. 18. 2. 33–48. 10.7773/cm.v18i2.894. free.
  13. Baquiero. Erik. Castagna. Michael. 1988. Fishery And Culture Of Selected Bivalves In Mexico: Past, Present And Future. Journal of Shellfish Research. 7. 433–443.

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