Gonad development and spawning in one and two year old mussels (Mytilus edulis) from Western Norway

Abstract

Sexual maturation and spawning was followed in one and two year old rope cultured mussels (Mytilus edulis) from April to December. Development of gonad and storage tissue was followed using descriptive categories from histology, and development of total soft tissue was followed using meat yield and condition index.Both age groups were mature both during spring and autumn and had similar patterns of spawning and maturation. April and May were characterized by scattered spawning activity and accumulation of storage reserves at the same time, resulting in relative constant condition indices during this period. This was followed by ripening of the gonads and an increase in condition index that culminated in a spawning in late June. Parts of the population then entered a resting phase, while a part of the population underwent new maturation towards an autumn spawning in September. In December all the mussels had started the winter maturation.Condition index and meat yield were higher throughout the season in the one year old mussels. This was probably due to the sum of several factors, including differences in specific feeding rates and biomass density, rather than spawning.The present study is the first to compare the reproductive patterns over time of one and two year old mussels with reliable age determination, and provide information that there are no obvious differences in neither timing of gonad development nor spawning patterns between the age-classes.