• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.153-159
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• 2006

The ark shell (or 'blood clam') Scapharca broughtonii is a filter-feeding bivalve that has red blood and inhabits waters approximately 10m in depth off the southern coast of South Korea. This study was part of a larger research project investigating the causes of death and restoration of shellfish resources, which are important aquaculture products in South Korea. We examined physiological responses related to survival, respiration, excretion, and amino acid changes as a result of changes in salinity. The 9-day median lethal salinity ($LS_{50}$) was 16.5 psu with confidence limits of 14.9-18.1 psu. At $25^{\circ}C$, the oxygen consumption and ammonia-nitrogen excretion rates were increased with decreases in salinity. Although the osmolality of individuals was acclimated within 2 h at 26.4 psu and 12 h at 19.8 psu, it took more than 5 days at a salinity of 13.2 psu, whereas no individuals acclimated and all died at a salinity of 6.6 psu. Of the amino acids present in the blood, taurine and alanine increased in response to decreased salinity. Tissues of the gill and the mid-gut gland were affected by decreasing salinity. These data will provide important fundamental information for examining the causes of mass mortality of shellfish in the summer.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2015

The anatomy and ultrastructure of the digestive diverticulum of Tegillarca granosa were described using light and electron microscopy. The digestive diverticulum was situated on the gonad and connected to stomach by a primary duct. Digestive diverticulum is composed of numerous digestive tubules. The epithelial layer of digestive tubule, which is simple, is composed of basophilic cells and digestive cells. Basophilic cells are columnar in shape, and the electron density is higher than that of the digestive cell. The cytoplasm has a well-developed endoplasmic reticulum, tubular mitochondria, Golgi complex and of membrane-bounded granules of high electron density. Digestive cells were classified into three types. According to cell shape, electron density and cell organelles. However, three types of epithelia was same that striated border was observed in free surface and lysosome was observed in cytoplasm. The results of this study suggest that basophilic cells and digestive cells in the digestive tubule are specialized in the extracellular and intracellular digestions, respectively.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.34-41
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• 2009

Gonadal development and reproductive cycle of the granular ark Tegillarca granosa were investigated by histological observations. Samples were collected monthly from January to Decemberry 2002 in the Yeoja Bay of Yeosu, Jeollanam-do, Korea. T. granosa was dioecious. The gonads consist of a number of oogenic follicle and acinus. Monthly changes in the gonad index reached a maximum in June and a minimum in August. Monthly changes in the condition index reached a maximum in July and a minimum in September. The reproductive cycle of this species can be divided into five successive stages: early active stage (March to May), late active stage (April to June), ripe stage (May to July), spent stage (July to August) and recovery and resting stage (September to March). The spawning of T. granosa occurred in July and August in Yeoja Bay. The sex ratio of female to male was not significantly different from 1:1.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.151-158
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• 2015

This study was conducted to find out the changes of survival, respiration and organ structure of Tegillarca granosa exposed to copper (Cu). Experimental period was four weeks. Experimental groups were composed of one control condition and three copper exposure conditions (0.125, 0.250 and 0.500 mg/L). The results of the study confirmed that copper induces reduction of survival rate and respiration rate and histopathology of organ structure of the bivalve. In the copper concentration of 0.500 mg/L, mortality was 66.7% after Cu exposure of 4 weeks. Respiration rate was observed exposure groups lower than control decline by 18%. Histological analysis of organ system illustrated degeneration of epithelial layer and connective tissue layer of the mantle. Also, histological degenerations as epithelial atrophy and disappearance of lateral cilia are recognized in the gill and it was observed expansion of hemolymph sinus, disruption of epithelial layer, acidification of mucous and degeneration of muscle fiber bundles in the foot. In the digestive diverticulum, it was showed atrophy and destruction of basophilic cell and epithelial cell in the digestive tubules.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.331-338
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• 2022

The high latitude scleractinian coral Alveopora japonica Eguchi, 1965 occurs in high density in the shallow rocky subtidal in Jeju Island, forming coral carpets. Despite its ecological role providing a unique habitat for other benthic organisms, the benthic fauna associated with the A. japonica coral carpet is poorly known. To identify fauna associated with the coral carpet, we explored three sites dominated by A. japonica and one control site on northwestern Jeju Island in May 2013. Using SCUBA, we collected A. japonica and the epibenthic mega-fauna associated with the colonies in 1×1 m² and identified them to the species level. At a depth of 10 to 15 m, A. japonica colonies heavily covered the seafloor, forming a layer called a coral carpet, with a density of 94 (Keumneung-ri), 133 (Biyangdo), and 155 (Gwidok-ri) colonies/m². Thirty-four molluscan species were identified from the four sites, including 20 bivalves and 14 gastropods. The coral carpets were enriched with sessile bivalves compared to the control site, as we identified twenty bivalve and eight gastropod species from the coral carpets. Most bivalve species associated with the coral carpets had tropical-subtropical affinities, while gastropods were mainly subtropical and subtropical-low boreal species. Leiosolenus lischkei M. Huber, 2010, in the family Mytilidae and Barbatia steamsi (Pilsbry, 1895), in the family Arcidae, were the two most abundant bivalve species in the coral carpet, L. lischkei being a borer, and B. stearnsi a nestler. The tropical to subtropical Pacific star shell Astralium haematragum (Menke, 1829)was the most abundant gastropod at the study sites. The bivalves and gastropods associated with the coral carpet were small-sized juveniles or sub-adults, suggesting that the coral carpet provides a micro-habitat for the bivalves and gastropods.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.291-298
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• 2015

This study was conducted to provide the microanatomical information of the heart-kidney complex of Tegillarca granosa. The heart-kidney complex was located in the pericardial cavity between the dosal visceral mass and posterior adductor muscle. The heart composed of two atrium and one ventricle. The kidney composed of a pair of left and right. The atrium and ventricle of the heart were composed of the epicardium, myocardium and endocardium. The epicardium of simple epithelial layer composed of cuboidal epithelial cells that had a strong basophilic nucleus located in the center. The myocardium composed of muscle fiber bundles. The myocardium in ventricle was denser than in the atrium. The endocardium of simple epithelial layer composed of squamous epithelial cell that had a strong basophilic nucleus was located in the center. The endocardium thickness of the atrium was $6.04({\pm}2.26){\mu}m$, endocardium thickness of the atrium was $7.36({\pm}3.21){\mu}m$, and appeared to be thicker in the ventricle. The kidney composed of numerous renal tubules. The renal tubule of simple epithelial layer composed of columnar epithelial cell with nucleus located in the basal zone and a number of cytoplasmic granules. The developed striated border was the inner epidermis.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.73-79
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• 2012

Seasonal changes in biochemical composition of muscle, gonad-viceral, mass and whole body of the cultured ark shell, Scapharca broughtonii in the Gamag bay of Yeosu city were studied from December 2008 to November 2009 in relation to environmental condition and reproductive cycles. Average monthly water temperature in the winter was in the range of $7-12^{\circ}C$ and $20-25^{\circ}C$ in the summer, while the salinity fluctuated in the range of 30.1%-33.8‰ on the average. Seasonal fluctuation of the concentration of nutrient salt was the highest in September ($13.04{\mu}g/L$) with average annual concentration of $4.6{\mu}g/L$. The main spawning season of the ark shell was during the months of July and August, and the gonads were in inactive stage during the winter. The gonad-visceral mass contained lower amounts of proteins than the other body parts. The most marked changes in body composition were lipids and carbohydrates within the gonad-visceral mass, and protein for each of the organs was relatively consistent throughout the year. All the parts in the visceral sac displayed the highest changes during the gametogenic cycle while the contents of moisture and lipid within the visceral act displayed somewhat inverse relations with each other. Moisture content was the lowest during the inactive stage during which the lipid content is the highest. The lipid content was the lowest immediately following spawning with increase in the moisture content as the lipid is being consumed. Protein mass within the visceral sac was low in comparison to the muscle mass. It is deemed that carbohydrates, lipids and proteins in the visceral sac play the major role as the source of energy during the development process of the gonads, and used for maintenance of base metabolism when available food is scarce.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.193-206
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• 2013

The ark shell, Scapharca broughtonii is a marine bivalve mollusks belonging to the family Arcidae and important seafood for Korean and Japanese, and southern coast is brisk bays for the ark shell aquaculture. However, productivity of ark shell from these regions were rapidly reduced during the last decade due to mass mortality. The reason of this great damage has not yet been identified. To overcome this economic loss, diverse investigations were focused on environmental factors that affects in the physiology of S. broughtonii, but microbiological researches were performed insufficiently. Hemoglobin is one of the major blood component of ark shell and is damaged by some species of bacterial toxins. We concentrated on this red pigment because hemolysis could be the cause of ark shell mortality. In this study, we analyzed microbial diversity of underwater sediments in coastal regions and also existences in the body of S. broughtonii. We investigate about 4,200 isolates collected from June to September for microbial diversity of sediments and ark shell. We screened all of culturable microorganisms, and identified 25 genera 118 species, 24 genera 89 species, 30 genera 109 species and 39 genera 141 species, and selected 140 unique colonies for identification and challenge assay.