Effect of body size and copper exposure on physiological responses of green mussel Perna viridis (Linnaeus)

Abstract

Effect of body size on some of the physiological stress indices like oxygen consumption, ammonia
excretion, O : N ntio, filtration rate and body condition index (BCI) were studied. Comparatively low
O : N ratio (23.09) was obtained for Perna viridis, indicating a heavy dependence on protein for energy
production. Oxygen consumption (b=0.7014), ammonia excretion (b=0.4155), 0:N ratio (b=0.2377) and
filtration rate (b = 0.5070) were positively correlated and body condition index negatively correlated
(b =- 0.2237)with the increase in body weight.
In mussels exposed to 7.5 \lg litre ' of copper, for 20 days, all stress indices except O : N ratio,
declined with the increase in tissue copper concentration. The tissue copper concentration increased from
8.34 to 196.91 ug $-' dry tissue weight.