> I have been curious for a long time about how long Rangia cuneata,
> the
> common bay clam, lives in estuaries along the Gulf of Mexico. A large
> shell
> shows a few periods of growth slowdown, perhaps five to seven. Does
> anyone
> know whether this corresponds to the number of years of growth?

I don't know if anyone has looked, but living in such a variable
habitat would be likely to generate growth slowdowns at various times
(too fresh, too salty, too cold, too hot, etc. depending on the
tolerances of the species).


--
Dr. David Campbell
425 Scientific Collections Building
Department of Biological Sciences
Biodiversity and Systematics
University of Alabama, Box 870345
Tuscaloosa AL 35487-0345  USA

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