Adhesive secretions of live mussels observed in situ by attenuated total reflection-infrared spectroscopy.

The chemical species involved in the adhesion of blue mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and greenshell mussels (Perna canaliculus) to surfaces has been investigated using in situ attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy. Mussel spat ranging in size from 0.5 to 25 mm were placed in a flow cell containing a ZnSe multiple internal reflection prism and supplied with temperature-controlled seawater.