• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.227-237
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• 1997

Five species of intertidal clams including Ruditapes philippinarum, Tegillarca granosa, Solen strictus, Heteromacoma irus, and Coecella chinensis were tested for the presence of the protozoan parasite, Perkinsus sp. using fluid thioglycollate medium (FTM) fortified with antibiotics and histological techniques. Each individual clam was placed in a test tube filled with 10ml FTM, placed in totally dark place, and incubated over a week. After incubation the clam tissues were stained with Lugol's iodine solution and examined under a light microscope to find out any hypnospores of Perkensus sp. in the tissues. Cross-sections of the clams were also embedded in paraffin, sliced to 3um, and stained with Harry's hematoxylene and Picro eosine to observe the presence of tomont or trophozoites. Perkinsus sp. were found in the presence of tomont or trophozoites. Perkinsus sp. were found in the tissues of R. philippinarum collected from Kangjin and Wando, along the south coast of Korea. However, Perkinsus sp. was not found in four other species of clams nor R. philippinaurm collected from Kimnyong and Waido in Cheju. A size-dependent Perkinsus sp. infection was found in R. philippinarum collected rom Kangjin and Wando the clams smaller than 15mm in shell width do not exhibit and Perkinsus sp. while other clams greater than 20mm in shell width exhibit almost 100% infection. To determine the number of Perkinsus sp. in the clams, FTM cultured clam tissues were digested with 2M NaOH solution and the number of hypnospores in the tube were counted. The number of hypnospores counted from the tissues indicated that each Manila clam contains 100,000 to 3,500,000 Perkinsus cells or 20,000 to 1,000,000 cells per gram tissue wet weight. The results of cell counts also suggests that such a high occurrence of Perkinsus sp. in the clam may cause mortality, as already reported from other studies of Perkinsus spp.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.127-131
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• 1999

Changes in Oxygen consumption and filtration rates were investigated to understand physiological rhythms for 24 hours of the Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum. physiological rhythms in the oxygen consumption and filtration rates at 15$^{\circ}C$ and 25$^{\circ}C$ were showed diurnal tidal rhythms, appearing two peaks for 24 hours: maximum at night-high tide and minimum at day-low tide. No rapid variations in oxygen consumption and filtration rates for 24 hours appeared at two different water temperatures.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.3 no.3_4
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• pp.205-212
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• 2000

Light and electron microscopical characteristics of Perkinsus sp. parasitizing in Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum, in Korea were investigated. Trophozoite within the tissue was spherical or ovoid and ranged $2.5-10.5\mu m$ $(mean = 6.2\mu m)$ in diameter. Trophozoite had a nucleus with a prominent nucleolus and a large cytoplasmic vacuole within the cytoplasm. Single trophozoite was phagocytozed by host hemocyte and cluster cells were encapusulated by hemocytes aggregation within the host tissues. Hypnospores incubated in thioglycollate medium (FTM) for 1 to 15 days were also spherical or ovoid and ranged $10-132\mu m$ $(mean\pm S.D.\;:\;44.25\pm 7.91\mu m)$ in diameter. Zoospores were spherical or ovoid, had a nucleus and two flagella. Zoospores contained apical complex, which consisted of conoid, subpellicular microtubules, rhoptries and rectilinear micronemes.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2013

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of shaking stress in the hemolymph of the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum by quantification of nitric oxide (NO) levels. The clams were divided into 3 groups as follows: clams placed in a plain container (control), clams injected with nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (NAME, an NO inhibitor), and clams in a container filled with nylon fiber at a density of $1kg/m^3$. Subsequently, each group was placed in sea water and shaken at 100 rpm for 6 h. The concentration of NO was quantified by using DAF assay and Griess assay. Both the assays showed that while shaking significantly increased the NO concentration, the NO inhibitor reduced the NO concentration in the hemolymph of the clams tested. In addition, the nylon fiber, which was used as a filler, effectively prevented the increase in NO concentration. This result suggests that measurement of NO concentration is a useful tool for evaluation of physiological stress in marine bivalves. In addition, it should be considered that a filler is necessary when dredge fishing or the suspended clam culture method is developed.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.145-156
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• 2012

Larval development of the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum reared in an indoor tank system was examined in this study using light microscope and scanning electron microscope. To induce spawning and subsequent larval development, clams were collected from the intertidal zone at Gim-nyeong harbor in Jeju Island in August 2011. After 2 days of rearing in the tank, all Manila clams spawned in the midnight. Non-feeding trochophore larvae appeared 7hrsafter fertilization and the first D-shape larvae could be observed at 19 hrs. Twenty one days after fertilization the pediveliger larvae crawling on the bottom of the tank with well-developed foot were observed. Histology indicated that all the clams used in this study were in the ripe stage prior to spawning and the gonad-somatic index (GSI), a ratio of the egg mass to the tissue weight, of the ripe female measured by ELISA was 28.6%. The GSI of female clam declined to 17.3% after the massive spawning in the tank, suggesting that Manila clam discharged 40% of the total eggs during the first spawning event. In conclusion, spawning and subsequent larval development of Manila clam was successfully carried out in this study using an indoor tank system, and the information obtained in the present study could be useful in future Manila clam hatchery development.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.227-234
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• 2010

A comparative analysis of size and age structures of coastal subfossil shell assemblages of the shortnecked clam Ruditapes philippinarum from open and protected bays of Cheju Island (Korea) was carried out. On the whole, taking into account the damage of small fragile shells, size and age structures of the shell assemblages corresponded to the classical curve of bivalve population distribution when its mortality diminishes with age increase up to a certain threshold. It was found that shell samples from open bays of the western, southern and eastern coasts included shells of smaller and younger individuals (L ${\leq}$ 40 mm, ${\leq}$ 4 years) than samples from the eastern protected bay (L ${\leq}$ 54.5 mm, ${\leq}$ 6 years). Evidently, strong wave activity was the reason for a short life-span of the clams from the open areas. Growth was investigated retrospectively by annual growth rings on the shells. Growth rates of the clams from the various coasts of Cheju Island differed. However, growth rates of the clams from different biotopes at the same (eastern) side of the Island were similar. Shell height/length and width/length ratios statistically significantly increased with the clam age increase. Most likely, the reason for such shell shape alteration is that more conglobated individuals more survive being more energy-optimal than oblong specimens.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2016

In the present study, we observed a unique association of the flat oyster, Ostrea denselamellosa obtained from a muddy substrate at Haechang Bay, the south coast of Korea in the spring of 2013. Fossilized or semi-fossilized veneriid clam shells, possibly Ruditapes philippinarum, were found adhering to the umbonal area of the flat oyster valves. This unique association of the flat oyster shells with the fossilized clam shells suggested that the flat oyster larvae utilized the clam shells as substrate during settlement. Since availability of clam shells in the muddy subtidal environment is limited, this unique substrata for the flat oyster larvae may limit recruitment of the flat oysters in the bay.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.189-195
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• 2016

The growth of manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum inhabiting culturing ground was studied in west coast Gomso tidal flat of Korea, from August 2000 to July 2001. The density of the clam was the highest in November 2000, showing a monotonic decrease afterwards over the study period. Mean density was $1,224ind./m^2$ during the study period. Size frequencies of the clam showed a unimodal distribution, and its mode increased with shell growth over time. Although the growth of shell length of manila clam was monotonic, the growth rates decreased between July 2001 and February 2002 and increased from March 2002. The biomass of the clam also increased with time, in which the increments becoming larger since March 2002. The clam shell length had linear relationship to shell height, and had logarithmic relationship to total weight, meat wet weight, dry meat weight, and AFDW. Condition index of the clam increased continuously until April, decreasing afterwards in 2001. The pattern was similar in 2002. Based on fluctuations in condition index, the spawning time of manila clam in Gomso tidal flat is inferred to be between May and October. These results suggested that optimal harvests can be made before summer season when growth decreased and mass mortality occurred, after 24 months of seed shell release.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.190-193
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• 2001

To investigate the effects of the dissolved oxygen concentration (DO) on Scope for growth (SFG) of the manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum, we measured $LC_{50}$, filtration, respiration, ammonia excretion, and assimilation rates under $23\pm0.5^{\circ}C$ as a function of DO. The $LC_{50}$ of DO for R. philippinarum, was 2.4 mgDO $L^{-1}$. With decreasing DO, filtration and respiration rates of R. philippinarum decreased, while ammonia excretion rate increased, The assimilation rate was $68.2\%$ at 6.5 mgDO $L^{-1}$, decreased to $29.8\~39.3\%$ at 3.5 mgDO $L^{-1}$. R. philippinarum had positive SFG's at the $DO{\geq}2.5mgDO\;L^{-1}$.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.267-272
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• 2015

This study was conducted in order to elucidate the dissemination mechanism of P. olseni using field and laboratory experiments. For this purpose, we quantified the level of P. olseni infection in buried (healthy) and surfaced (gapped) R. philippinarum from a clam bed on Wi-do Island on the west coast of Korea. In addition, the levels of internal and released P. olseni cells from artificially infected (and later dead) R. philippinarum were monitored for 8 days using the RFTM-2 M NaOH lysis method. Our results indicate that P. olseni cells in buried R. philippinarum was $2,655,625{\pm}1,536,936cells/clam$; the level in gapped R. philippinarum was considerably lower, $28,203{\pm}24,889cells/clam$ (p < 0.05). In the laboratory experiment, the P. olseni cells remained in the host tissue 2 days after death was approximately 50% lower than the level of infection measured in living clams. The level dropped to 20% 4 days after death and to 1.5% 6 days after death; eight days after death, P. olseni cells were undetectable since the R. philippinarum flesh had completely decomposed. The level of released cells on the day of death was only 0.05% of the internal level in live R. philippinarum; however, the level increased to 2.3% 5 days after death then gradually decreased and no released cells were detected 8 days after death. Therefore, our laboratory experiment suggest that the low level of P. olseni infection observed in gapped R. philippinarum at Wi-do Island could be caused by lysis of the most of P. olseni cells during the decomposition of dead R. philippinarum tissues. Until the end of decomposition of R. philippinarum, 6.68% of the total amount of P. olseni was released within 8 days. Our study showed that the amount of P. olseni cells from dead host is a considerably higher level than naturally released from healthy R. philippinarum, suggesting that death of the host plays an important role in the dissemination of P. olseni.