1987 Volume 53 Issue 6 Pages 1095-1102
The influence of body size upon the concentration of elements was examined using the clam Cyclosunetta menstrualis. Relationships between the concentration of twelve elements and soft part weight were classified into four types. Concentrations of Mn, Zn, Co and P increased significantly with soft part weight, while those of Na and Al decreased. Concentrations of K, Mg and Cu were independent of soft part weight. With the increase of soft part weight, concentrations of Fe, Ca and Sr decreased in the small-sized clams, remained constant in the middle-sized clams, and increased in the large-sized clams, respectively.
Concentrations of Zn, Mn, Co, P, Mg, Cu and Al in the kidney increased markedly with shell length, whereas those of Na and K were invariable. Concentrations of Fe, Ca and Sr in the kidney were high in the small-sized clams, relatively low in the middle-sized clams and increased in the large-sized clams, respectively. On the contrary, accumulation curves of all elements in the soft part excluding the kidney showed a decreasing or constant tendency. Therefore, the contribution of element contents in the kidney to the total amount of elements in the whole soft part varied according to shell length. It was suggested that the kidney played an important role in controlling the change of concentration of elements in the whole soft part with the growth of the clams.
