Physiological changes following transplantation of the bivalve Scrobicularia plana between three populations

Abstract

Transplants of the bivalve Scrobicularia plana (Da Costa) were made between the Lynher, East Looe and Gannel estuaries (South West England) to ascertain the plasticity of the physiological responses recorded in the native populations. All transplants showed either a partial or almost complete acclimatization to conditions at the transplant site which indicated that the physiological differences between populations were largely environmentally induced, i.e. phenotypic. Incomplete acclimatization could be attributed to either the relatively short transplant period of 3 mo or the timing of the transplant in relation to the reproductive cycle.