Response to, and selection between, firm substrata by Mytilus edulis

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Abstract
Mytilus edulis attached more byssus threads to slate than to glass and more to glass than to p.t.f.e. in a given time period. This coincided with the order of polarity of the surfaces. On p.t.f.e., a non-polar plastic, the animals were most mobile, and were found to move off the surface in 3–5 days. Whilst on the polar surfaces, the animals clumped on glass, and remained relatively immobile on slate.When a choice of surface for byssal attachment was provided, the largest number of pads was always attached to the more polar surface. The preference was as follows: slate/glass 2·80 : 1·00; slate/ 5·38 : 1·00; glass/wax 5·97 : 1·00. Although the preference for slate and glass over wax was numerically similar, there is a clear preference for slate over glass.