Cytotoxic activity by the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis and the Venus clam Chamela gallina in the Adriatic sea in 2007

Given the ecological and economic importance of bivalve molluscs, the evaluation of their welfare is one of the primary aims for both biologists and people working in shell fishing. After a three year-long period monitoring the cytotoxic activity exerted by the hemolymph from the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, we have concluded that cytotoxicity represents a useful parameter to evaluate the status of the immune activity and therefore the health of mussels in a specific period of the year. During 2007, we compared the mussel cytoxicity with that of the Venus clam Chamelea gallina from contiguous areas of the Northern Adriatic Sea. Our observations indicate that the cytotoxicity of the hemolymph of the two species follows a similar course during the year, suggesting that cytotoxic activity is primarily determined by the life/reproductive cycles.