Comparative analysis of growth of edible mussel Mytilus edulis from different White Sea regions

Growth properties were studied in edible mussel Mytilus edulis from different biotopes of the Kandalaksha Bay in the White Sea. Growth curves of the mussel shell were approximated by the von Bertalanffy equation. The highest growth rate, primarily dependent on hydrological conditions, was observed in mussels from the Chupa Bay (Levin Navolok fishery), while the lowest rate was observed in mussels from the Umba region (Turii Cape, Murmansk Region). Allometric relationships of the mussel shell were determined. Analysis of the relationship between the maximum width/convexity and their length demonstrated that this relationship is described by a single allometric equation for mussels front the Umba region, which indicates the homogeneity of this population. For mussels from the Chupa Bay, this relationship cannot be described by a single equation, which points to the population heterogeneity. For 90% mussels from this region, the shell width/convexity ratio ranged from 0.5 to 0.9; while for the remaining, 10%, it ranged from 0.9 to 1.15.