Radiotracer studies on the nutrition of the early larvae of Ostrea edulis

C-14 labeled algae ( Cyclotella nana and Monochrysis lutheri) were fed to the parents and incubant larvae of O. edulis. Through liquid scintillation counting, it was established that both the parent and the larvae take up particulate food during incubancy, thus the parent does not seem to supply the food requirements of the larvae. Food utilization in the larvae was shown to be approximately the same in Cyclotella and one-third in Monochrysis as in the parents. Substantial C-14 uptake was found in larvae on C. nana proving its ingestion by the animals while M. lutheri seemed to be of lesser value to the incubatory larvae of O. edulis in this experiment.