바지락패곡의 형태변이와 바지락의 장형, 단형의 형태적 특성에 관하여

On the Morphological Variations and Special Feature of the Elongated and the Stunted Forms in the Short Necked Clam, Tapes japonica

The short-necked clam is distributed widely in Korean tidal flats and it is a much an important bivalve quantitatively as to control the production of the tidal flat. The shell of this clam tends to show remarkable morphological variations depending on the habitat. Under a seemingly favorable condition for the growth , the color pattern of shell of the clam is clear and obvious and having less weight and elongated shape, the ratios of shell length to both height and width are small . On the contrary , when the environment appears to be an unfavorable one, the shell is found to be heavy and stunted with smudgy color pattern. If this correlation between could be a basis for the judgement in suitability of growth environment for the clam. In the Ikawazu Bay, Japan, it is revealed that the elongated shell is produced from the coast outside of the Bay (1) , the stunted from the esturay (2) and the intermediate from the floodgate area (3) and the middle of the Bay (4). Followings are the results obtained from the morphological investigation of the claim in this Bay. 1. Relationship between the shell length and the largest shell rib length is linear and between the shell length and the shell width is also linear but with a critical point at the shell length of 17-20 mm. The ratio between the width and the largest rib length at a given shell length increases with the order of 1, 3, 4, and 2. 2. A gradual decreases of the ratio of the shell length to the largest rib length is observed when the former is less than 17-18 mm, and this ratio increases with the shell of longer. Also there is a different range of this ratio in each different location ; the greatest range in 2, the smallest in 1 and 4 being in between. 3. A similar biometric finding is apparent with the ratio between the length and width of the shell and the order in value is 2, 4, 1 and 3. 4. The ratios between the length and the largest rib length of elongated and stunted shell are 0.84-0.86 and 0.89-0.92, respectively , and those between the length and width are 0.40-0.51 and 0.49-0.58, respectively. 5. Generally , the elongated short necked clam shells are products of the tidal flat of good circulation of sea water with high salinity and smaller fluctuations of salinity and temperature within a day. The stunted shells are produced for tidal flats of opposite of above conditions.