Malacological Society of Australasia

Molluscan Research

Volume 18, Issue 1: 30 April 1997

Growth of the hairy mussel Trichomya hirsuta (Lamarck, 1819) from eastern Australia.

C.L. Coggin

Dept. Parasitology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072.

Hairy mussels, Trichomya hirsuta, were held in cages on the east coast of Australia at Townsville, Brisbane, Port Stephens, Lake Macquarie and Eden. Growth rates of the mussels were estimated using the von Bertalanffy equation using length measurements alone and an index of height, length and breadth. The growth rate estimates (K) varied with season and were highest in summer at all sites. Highest growth rates for T. hirsuta over a 52 week period were all recorded at Lake Macquarie from both length measurements and the index of height, length and breadth. Highest growth rates for the total sampling period were recorded from Brisbane. Trichomya hirsuta reached its asymptotic length at Lake Macquarie in 10 to 25 years with growth rates of 2.7-9.0 mm per year.

pp. 59-66.