Oxygen consumption and pumping rates in the hard clam Mercenaria mercenaria: a direct method.

Respiratory and pumping rates in the hard clam Mercenaria mercenaria were measured directly in running seawater; the quiatntity of oxygen used was calculated from the difference in concentrations in incurrent and excurrent water. A linear relationship between pumping and respiratory rates suggests regulation of water transport by, oxygen requirement rather than by feeding.