Use of soil pools to prolong the breeding period and culture of the clam, Mactra quadrangularis (Reeve, 1854)

Abstract

In this study, the development of gonads of the clam, Mactra quadrangularis, in soil pools was evaluated using histological methods, and the growth and survival of larvae and juveniles were investigated. The results showed that compared to wild samples from the marine region, the breeding period of M. quadrangularis was extended from 15–30 days to more than 60 days, which greatly improved the controllability of artificial breeding of the clam. The growth rate of individuals in the larval and metamorphosis stages was 7.83 ± 1.33 µm, and the survival rate was relatively high (80.24% ± 2.36%). The population metamorphosis duration was 5–6 days, the metamorphosis rate of larvae was 73.33% ± 1.67%, and their size was 188.33 µm ± 2.92 µm. The survival rate of both early and late juvenile stages was > 90%, and the growth rate (127.67 ± 37.50 μm ~ 268.21 ± 55.33 μm) was also faster than that of the larval and metamorphosis stages. The 90-day-old juveniles reached a size of 16.17 ± 0.43 mm. These results show that culture in the soil pool effectively prolonged the breeding season of M. quadrangularis, which provides a theoretical foundation for improving artificial breeding of M. quadrangularis.