A FIELD EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON THE EFFECT OF SALINITY AND TEMPERATURE ON THE GROWTH OF CAGED Corbicula japonica (Mollusca: Bivalvia)

Abstract

 The growth rate of Corbicula japonica at the mouth of the Natori River, Miyagi Prefecture, was estimated in the field by a caging method. There were significant differences in growth rate among stations and the results suggest that lower growth rates are caused by reduced feeding in conditions of high salinity. The growth rate in shell length of C. japonica observed in summer (214±42.4μm/day) was higher than that of other areas in previous studies: within a month, shell length increased from a mean of 9 mm to a mean of 15 mm (minimum harvesting size).