전자저널 > 전자저널 > Distribution and Ecology of Marsh Clam in Gyeongsangbuk-do. Ⅱ. Reproductive Cycle and Larval Development of the Corbicula japonica

Distribution and Ecology of Marsh Clam in Gyeongsangbuk-do. Ⅱ. Reproductive Cycle and Larval Development of the Corbicula japonica

Kyung-Sook Byun and Ee-Yung Chung

Dept. of Marine Resources and Environment, Pohang College, Pohang 791-711, Korea

Gametogenes, reproductive cycle, first sexual maturity(biological minimum size), sex ratio and larval development of the marsh clam Corbicula japonica were investigated monthly by histological observations. Samples were collected in brackish water of Gokgang stream, Kyungsangbuk-Do, Korea, from August 1997 to July 1998. Sexuality of Corbicula japonica is dioecious and the species are an oviparous clam. The gonads are irregularly arranged from the sub-region of mid-intestinal gland in visceral cavity to reticular connective tissue of foot. The ovary is composed of a number of ovarian sac which are branched arborescent. Oogonia actively proliferate along the germinal epithelium of ovarian sac, in which young oocytes are growing. The testis is composed of a number of testicular tubules, and the epithelium of the tubule has function of germinal epithelium, along which spermatogonia actively proliferate. A great number of undifferentiated mesenchymal tissue and eosinophilic granular cells are abundantly distributed between developing oocytes and spermatocytes in the early developmental stages. With the further development of the ovary and testis these tissue and cells gradually disappear. Then the undifferentiated mesenchymal tissue and eosinophilic granular cells are considered to be related to the growing of the oocytes and spermatocytes. The spawning period is from July to September, and the main spawning occur between July and August when seawater temperatures reach above 22 ℃. The reproductive cycle of this species can be divided into five successive stages; early active (February to April), late active (May to July), ripe (June to September), partially spawned (July to September), degenerative (September to October) and resting stage (October to February). Percentages of first sexual maturity of female and male clams ranging in length from 10 mm to 12 mm are over 50％and 100％ for clams over 16.0 mm in shell length. Fertilized eggs of Corbicula japonica were 80-90 μm in diameter. In the early embryonic development of C. japonica, the appearance of polar body, trochophore and D-shaped veliger were observed around 40 min., 27 hours and 4 days after spawning, respectively, at a water temperature of 26.5-28.0℃. The size of larvae of early umbo stage was about 185-210 μm in shell length, 160-180 μm in shell height around 7 days after fertilization. The correlation of relative growth between the culture day (D) and shell length (SL) was expressed by the following simple formula from D-shaped veliger to metamorphosing stage; SL = 13.300D + 209.36 (r2=0.9078).

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