| Densities of the suspension-feeding bivalve Cerastoderma edule (L.) were manipulated inside field enclosures at two tidal elevations (low water level, LWL, and mid-tide level, MTL) on an intertidal sand flat in Arcachon Bay to test the influence of both adult densities and emersion time on (1) individual growth rate, (2) settlement rate, and (3) survival rate of cockles. These experiments were conducted during two consecutive years, in plots with ambient (Ix) and modified (1/3x, 3x, or 10x) densities of adult cockles. Growth rate and condition index of both adults and juveniles were significantly higher at the lowest tidal elevation (LWL), which is in accordance with the feeding mode of the species. The highest juvenile growth rate was recorded in the... |
