Accumulation of domoic acid and its effect on juvenile king scallop Pecten maximus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Juvenile king scallops Pecten maximus of 1.23 cm shell height were exposed to domoic acid (DA) and the toxin accumulation and effects of bearing this toxin were investigated. After feeding on a formulated feed containing about 0.19 pg DA per particle for 7 days, the juvenile scallops incorporated a relatively low DA burden of 15.9 ng g− 1, which was similar to those exposed to 10 and 50 ng ml− 1 dissolved DA. The maximum DA accumulation, 302.5 ng g− 1 whole tissue, was achieved by scallops maintained in 100 ng ml− 1 dissolved DA for 18 days. No significant effect of exposure to DA was observed on feeding rate (on microalgae), shell valve activity (shell clatter), righting response, or the secretion of byssus threads. However, negative impacts on growth rate and survival were found for scallops exposed to DA-spiked feed. This is the first study on DA accumulation in juvenile P. maximus and on the negative effect of DA on this life history stage.