Comments on: I have a dirty secret: I am a mussel sex voyeur.

By: Tim

Tim — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:55:39 +0000

Ah ha – so there are other marine invert voyeurs out there!! I’ve had many an evening snuggled up with a few tanks of horny mussels waiting in anticipation for them to release their “goods” – Oh, and all those hours counting larvae – one by bloody one – why do we do it? There’s something special there…. something that I don’t quite think many other souls in this world could ever anticipate as being extraordinary let alone interesting ;P

Sounds like you’re doing some really interesting research – any plans for publications? I’d very much like to have a read – I’m quite interested in NZ’s endemic thermal vent mussel: Bathymodiolus tangaroa

By: SMA

SMA — Wed, 20 May 2009 05:35:23 +0000

I should have been more clear on number 4: not all deep-sea larvae feed (some are non-feeding–or lecithotrophic). But, some do feed (called planktotrophic). B. childressi larvae feed. In feeding larvae it is very unclear what they may eat (ie, do they swim to the surface to eat phytoplankton, or do they feed on something at depth?).

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 19 May 2009 14:07:22 +0000

It’s ok I am an invert voyeur too! At least you get to do it as a profession!! I’m jealous.

I’m not terribly suprised at #5 though, considering there is still so much for use to figure out about settlement cues for coastal and shelf species, let alone deep sea species with all the unique challenges they add. Of course that’s one of the questions I most interested in.