Mm. Santarem et al., SEASONAL-CHANGES IN HEMOCYTES AND SERUM DEFENSE FACTORS IN THE BLUE MUSSEL MYTILUS-GALLOPROVINCIALIS, Diseases of aquatic organisms, 18(3), 1994, pp. 217-222
Hemolymph characteristics were examined in experimentally cultured blu
e mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis Lmk. from 2 locations in the Ria d
e Vigo (NW Spain). The highest protein, lysozyme and agglutinin values
were found in July. The increase of agranular hemocytes and the decre
ase of granular blood cells in April was associated with parasitism by
Mytilicola intestinalis. No linkage was found between the number of c
irculating hemocytes and hemolymph component (lysozyme, agglutinins an
d proteins) concentrations with parasitism. It is suggested that the n
umber of circulating hemocytes, lysozyme and proteins levels and agglu
tination titer were related to the reproductive cycle and varied accor
ding to the location of mussels.