Abstract
Blood cockle Tegillarca granosa, a popular commercial bivalve species in south-east Asia, China and South Korea usually inhabits shallow mudflats in the intertidal zone. Due to the recent unpredictable climate patterns and increase of prolonged heavy rain conditions, bivalves inhabiting mudflats would be exposed to extreme hyposaline and turbid waters which would have an effect on their physiological conditions. The possible influences of such extreme conditions were tested in the laboratory using a 2 x 4 experimental design, where 24 specimens of T. granosa were exposed to different salinities (10, 30 psu) and turbidities (0, 100, 200, 300 mg/l) with 3 replicates over a 2-week period. Results indicated that T. granosa experienced stress to some extent but was quite tolerable against hyposaline and turbid conditions within the 2-week period. That is, specimens exposed to lower salinity and higher turbidities recorded decrease in clearance rates with delay in the initiation of gaping activity, which were considered as light signs of stress. Despite signs of stress, exposed individuals recorded minimal effect on glycogen content and a high survival rate was obtained. Overall, T. granosa is likely to tolerate hyposaline and turbid water sufficiently during the limited 2-week experimental period, showing only a slight stress response.
https://ror.org/02gmwvg31 
