Investigations on intertidal mussels Mytilus e d u l~s L. on an exposed rocky shore in the west of Ireland during 1983 to 1986 revealed a settlement pattern which differs from that reported elsewhere, particularly in Britain Analysis of the population structure showed the frequent presence of cohorts of ind~viduals < 500 pm shell length These cohorts appeared in the population at times and with a size range which indicates direct settlement from the plankton on the adult beds. M. eduhs larvae

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... y settle directly on adult beds without the initial prlmary phase on filamentous substrates postulated by the primary/secondary settlement model.