Transport of Dissolved Amino Acids by the Mussel, Mytilus edulis: Demonstration of Net Uptake from Natural Seawater.

High-performance liquid chromatography provides direct evidence for substantial removal of naturally occurring specific free amino acids during a single passage of water through the mantle cavity of mussels. This occurs during the few seconds required for passage of the water across the gill, and removal proceeds unabated at ambient substrate concentrations as low as 38 nanomoles per liter.