Bacterial nutrition of great scallop, Pecten moximus, larvae was investigated using the radioactive tracer technique. The bacterial labelling was studied initially to obtain a high and stable specific radioactivity (14C) of bacterial cells. A higher bacterial specific 14C activity was obtained when the tracer (amino acid) was introduced in the culture medium at the beginning of the exponential growth phase. After a 12 h labelling period in a rich nutritive medium, the bacteria were depurated in seawater for 5 h (chase) to prevent further 14C excretion and then added to larval rearing vessels. The larval labelling was followed for 12 h and then larvae were placed in new vessels without radioactive bacteria. The depuration of larvae was followed for 3 days. Data obtained on ingestion and assimilation efficiency show that bivalve larvae are able to ingest and digest bacteria.