[Asymmetry and growth rate of the shell valves in juveniles of Crassostrea gigas Thünberg].
Thanks to a sampling of juvenile oysters with different growth rates (slow, medium and fast), a subtle biometrical study of their shell evolution is described distinguishing the two valves. We conclude that all the phenomena are dominated by the early establishment of a directional asymmetry, which rapidly becomes so large that we should consider dissymmetry. The clearest relationship is revealed to be that between the weakness of the growth rate and the degree of the relative dissymetry between the weights of the valves. This result is to be compared with the highly debated relationship between the asymmetry and the growth rate. The existence and interpretation of both of these phenomena have led to many publications.
Laboratoire de biométrie et biologie évolutive, UMR 5558 du CNRS, université Claude-Bernard-Lyon-1, Villeurbanne, France. misou@biomserv.univ-lyon1.fr
J M
JM
Legay
A
A
Heizmann
C
C
Thiriot-Quiévreux
D000818:Animals; D001699:Biometry; D009929:Organ Size; D010125:Ostreidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development*