WANG Tinghao, DU Meirong, WANG Hua, FENG Jialin, JIANG Zengjie, ZENG Huili, XU Xiaoyan, BI Mingyong, LIANG Yucai
To investigate the reproductive cycle and early growth and development of clam Mya japonica in Jiaozhou Bay for artificial seed rearing, annual gonadal histological sectioning and seedling cultivation experiments were conducted to observe the reproductive cycle and early developmental morphology. The results showed that the annual gonadal development of M. japonica in Jiaozhou Bay went through the following stages: proliferative, growth, mature, spawning, and resting. The gonadosomatic index, condition index, and fatness increased with rising water temperature. There were two peak spawning periods per year in Jiaozhou Bay, namely April-May and September. Seedling rearing of M. japonica was carried out based on this reproductive pattern. Under conditions of water temperature 20 ℃-22 ℃, salinity 28-30, and pH 8.0-8.2, fertilized eggs hatched into D-shaped larvae after 22 h (mean shell length 101.86 ± 3.60 μm). By day 25, the gill filaments became distinct, and the larvae entered the settlement and metamorphosis stage. They attached to substrate via a boot-shaped foot by secreting byssus, formed a secondary shell, and showed the initial rudiment of a siphon. The short membranous siphon emerged externally and performed rhythmic movements as the juveniles crawled. By day 40, the siphon elongated and could extend out of the secondary shell, and the membranous tube grew longer. At this stage, the juveniles crawled among sand grains using the boot-shaped foot, and the secondary shell around the siphon area grew rapidly, giving the shell an elongated boat-shaped appearance. After 61 days of rearing, the juveniles developed into young clams (mean shell length 3.31 ± 0.93 mm). When juveniles were subjected to intermediate cultivation in sea-based or hatchery-based systems, the survival rate of larvae in the indoor hatchery was significantly higher than that in the sea-based cultivation system (P< 0.05). Daily growth rate, however, was significantly lower in the hatchery compared to sea-based system (P< 0.05). Further research is needed to explore other intermediate rearing modes that achieve both high survival rate and good growth performance. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for artificial seed rearing technology for M. japonica and lay a foundation for commercial seedling production and sea ranching stock enhancement of this species.