Shell thickness of mussel recruits quantified in two species, Mytilus trossulus and Mytilus californianus

Mussels are common on rocky shores along the west coast of North America and are prey to a number of species, including the Channeled Dogwhelk, Nucella canaliculata. When N. canaliculata hatch, they are dependent on a supply of newly recruited prey that are variable in abundance. To determine the strength of selection that early-life diet may impose on juvenile dogwhelks, recruit mussel shell thickness was quantified for two mussel species, Mytilus trossulus and Mytilus californianus. In addition, recruit M. californianus were collected from two locations, Bodega Marine Reserve and Soberanes Point, known to differ in the thickness of adult M. californianus.