A comparative account of the reproductive cycles of five species of marine mussels (Bivalvia: Mytilidae) in the vicinity of Fremantle, Western Australia

Abstract

Descriptions are given of the reproductive cycles of five marine species of mussels. Two of these species have a southern Australian distribution and three are tropical Indo-Pacific species or have Indo-Pacific affinities. The reproductive cycles differ significantly, each species exhibiting a characteristic breeding pattern. A distinction is drawn between the season of gametogenic activity and the much narrower season of actual spawning. In four of the species the major features of the reproductive cycle correlate with latitudinal distribution. This is interpreted as evidence supporting the role of temperature as a principal determining factor in the control of broader aspects of the reproductive cycle (i.e. duration and season of gametogenic activity). Differences in finer details of the reproductive cycles (e.g. spawning season and number of spawning peaks) appear to be controlled by unknown factors besides temperature.