The growth of the banded carpet shell (Paphia rhomboïdes) in a contrasted region, the English Channel (Western Europe): A modelling study

Paphia rhomboïdes is an infaunal filter-feeding bivalve, particularly widespread and abundant in the English Channel. In order to investigate the influence of the growth-related post-settlement processes on its distribution, a spatial growth model was developed and linked to an existing ecological model of the English Channel. This model was partially parameterized on the basis of a specific ecophysiological experimental study, and calibrated with growth data collected in the “Golfe Normand-Breton” (GNB), a region of the English Channel. Compared to the actual distribution of P. rhomboïdes, the results suggest a strong influence of the growth-related processes on the distribution of the species: particularly, the extremely low growth obtained with the model in the Western Channel can explain the almost complete absence of the species in this area.