The mussel tracker dataset

This dataset contains observations of mussel (<em>Mytilus edulis</em>) trajectories in an experimental setting. We were interested by one particular behavioral trait of this species, which have the capacity to crawl with the foot to avoid disturbance and choose a better fixation place. Mussels were placed in a 32 x 42 cm box, immersed in a bigger 700 liters tank equipped with a small underwater pump, for water recirculation. Mussels were young individuals collected in the wild, in Normandy (France). A small action camera was placed over the tank to make a movie of the mussel tracks, taking photos at a frequency of one image per minute. We tested 3 mussel densities (25, 50 or 75 individuals per experiment), each with three replicates. The runs lasted from 4 to 6 hours. We corrected the photos to straighten up for fish-eye effect and reframe them. We then pointed the different individuals with an image treatment open-source software to measure length, and determine x and y mussel position every minute. The dataset contains 137913 observations and 5 columns. First column is the individual id-code, second column contains individual length in centimeters, third column bears the time-information, and last x and y columns present the x and y positioning in cm, of the individual at time t.