• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2004

Based on both field and laboratory experiments, seasonal changes in the species composition and abundance of phytoplankton in the gut contents of the jedo venus clam, Protothaca jedoensis, and its feeding selectivity were investigated. The phytoplankton in the gut contents comprised Bacillariophyceae (diatom), Chlorophyceae, Chrysophyceae, and Dinophyceae, of which the diatoms being the most predominant throughout the year. Although the number of species and the abundance of phytoplankton in the sea water were always more diverse and more abundant than in the gut contents, the relative number and abundance were generally similar in the seawater and in the gut contents. In the laboratory experiments, the relative abundances of Coscinodiscus marginatus and Thalassirosira eccentrica were much more higher in the gut contents than any other algal species, while Paralia sulcata, Skeletonema costatum, and Eucampia zodiacus were abundant in order of cell density in the ambient water. These results suggest that P. jedoensis may feed preferably on single algal cell or smaller chains of algal cells.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.127-131
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• 2007

In order to obtain the basic biological data for effective seed production of Protothaca jedoensis, the influence of sediment condition on its immersion rate was investigated. Immersion rate of P. jedoensis spats was investigated in the different substrate groups; mud, fine sand, medium sand and coarse. In 72 hours, immersion rate and survival rate of spat was 90.0 and 90.0, 76.7 and 98.3, 61.7 and 86.7, and 85.0 and 93.3%, respectively. And also, survival rates of the groups were 90.0%(mud), 98.3%(fine sand), 86.7% (medium sand) and 93.3% (coarse sand) respectively. The immersion time and rate of spat was increased with an increase in shell length.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.197-208
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• 2004

Five commercially valuable Korean Veneroid, Protothaca jedoensis, Ruditapes philippinarum, Saxidomus purpuratus, Cyclina sinensis and Meretrix lusoria were recognized by comparing internal and external morphological characters. As length of the primary tooth was directly grown proportional to shell size but all other characters were not measured according to size of shell. Hence, the morphological characters of these Veneroids may be estimated from the size of the unique primary tooth and it might be enough to be a good criterion for identification of species among Veneriods. Numerical index of hinge plate length of these species was assessed systematically, irrespective of measuring the length, height and width of the shell. The highest internal and external morphological similarity was observed between P. jedoensis and R. philippinarum and the lowest similarity was observed between P. jedoensis and M. lusoria. These similarities may be affected by multiple environmental factors as well as genetic characters. For artificial seed production of P. jedoensis, R. philppinarum, a closest relative among the five species, must be focussed.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.11-24
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• 2008

GDNA was isolated from the jedo venus clam (Protothaca jedoensis, Lischke) from Boryeong (jedo venus clam from Boryeong JVCB) and Wonsan (jedo venus clam from Wonsan; JVCW) located in the West Sea and the East Sea of Korean Peninsula, respectively and we performed clustering analyses, DNA polymorphisms and the populations genetic variations. In the present study, the seven decamer primer generated the one hundred and eleven major/minor specific bands in JVCB population and ninety four-specific bands in JVCW population. Seven primers generated the unique shared bands to each population of one hundred and seventy-six, on average of 25,1, in JVCB population from Boryeong and three hundred thirty, on average of 47,1, in JVCW population from Wonsan, respectively. The dendrogram obtained by the seven oligonucleotides primers, indicates two genetic clusters. Especially, two Protothaca between the individual WONSAN no. 12 and BORYEONG no. 10 showed the longest genetic distance (0.537) in comparison with other individuals used. Accordingly, RAPD analysis showed that the JVCB was a little more genetically diverse than the JVCW population. This result implies the genetic similarity owing to rearing in the same and/or similar circumstances or inbreeding within the JVCW population. So to speak, JVCB population may have high levels of genomic DNA variability owing to the introduction of the wild individuals from the other sites to sampling sites although it may be the geographically diverse distribution of this species. However, it was confirmed that it did not appear like that really in this study. We feel convinced that RAPD analysis discovered a significant genetic distance between two Protothaca population pairs (P<0.001). The existence of population discrimination and genetic diversity between two Protothaca populations was identified by RAPD analysis.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.245-255
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• 2002

In order to obtain the basic information for seedling production of venus clam, Protothaca jedoensis, the annual reproductive cycle was investigated mainly by histological observation from September 1998 to August 1999. P. jedoensis was dioecious. The gonads are located between the digestive diverticula and muscle tissue of the foot. The ovary was composed of a number of ovarian sacs, and the testis was composed of several testicular tubules. The condition index was reached its maximum (20.0) in February, and then decreased to 11.5 in June. In August, the value was the lowest (9.0) and then increased slowly. Minimum size for the sexual maturation of individuals were 38.4 mm in shell length. One the other hand, the size of mature oocytes was ranged to $50-60\mu{m}$ in diameter and testis-ova was observed in testis of the mature stage. The reproductive cycle of P. jedoensis could be classified into five successive stages: early active (December to February), late active (January to April), ripe (March to July), partially spawned (June to August) and spent/inactive (July to January) stages.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.343-349
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• 2010

Ultrastructural studies of vitellogenesis in oocytes and follicle cells during oogenesis in female Protothaca (Notochione) jedoensis were investigated by histological and transmission electron microscope observations. In early vitellogenic oocytes, combined activities of the Golgi complex, mitochondria and rough endoplasmic reticulum in the cytoplasm are associated with autosynthetic vitellogenesis. Furthermore, at this time, many coated vesicles at the basal region of the oolemma of the oocyte lead to the formation of vesicles through endocytosis in the cytoplasm. Through the formation of the coated pits on oolemma during vitellogenesis, the uptake of extrafollicular precursors (nutritive materials) occurs in coated vesicles by endocytosis. Therefore, it is assumed that these exogenous materials are involved in heterosynthetic vitellogenesis. During late oogenesis, exogenous yolk precursors (yolk granules), lipid droplets and proteinaceous yolk granules are present in the cytoplasm of late vitellogenic oocytes. In mature oocytes, small yolk granules appear intermingled and form large mature yolk granules. Thus, two processes of vitellogenesis occur in oocytes by way of endogenous autosynthesis and exogenous heterosynthesis. The follicle cells attached to the oocytes appear to play an integral role in vitellogenesis in this study.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.260-266
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• 2005

In order to obtain the aquaculture fundamental data far resources enhancelnent of the Protothaca jedoensis, the egg development and larva growth were investigated at different conditions such as water temperature, phytoplankton and density. Water temperature, at which P. jedoensis egg successfully completed development, ranged from $15{\~}30^{\circ}C$. The required time from fertilization to D-shaped larva was 39.7 hours at $15^{\circ}C$, 31.2 hours at $20^{\circ}C$, 26.8 hours at $25^{\circ}C$ and 26.2 hours at $30^{\circ}C$ P. jedoensis. In regard to water temporature, growth and survival rates of larvae were high at $30^{\circ}C$. In growth and survival rates of larvae with various rearing densities, the highest aver-age growth and survival rates were 4${\~}$6 ind./ml When larvae were fed mixed phytoplankton, such as Isochrysis galbana, Pavlova lutheri and Chaetoceros calcitrans, their growth and survival rates were the high among the groups. In growth and survival rates of larvae with various rearing food concentrations, the highest average growth and survival rates were $218{\mu}m$, and $45\%$ at the food concentration of $1{\times}10^4$ cells/ml, respectively.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.7-13
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• 2006

In this study, environmental parameters of natural habitat were measured to find out suitable place for release and improve the productivity of Protothaca jedoensis in Gamak Bay. Water temperature, salinity of the habitat ranged from 5.4 to 27.6 and from 26.5 to $34.5\%_{\circ}$, respectively. Range of pH, DO, COD, Chl-a, T-N and T-P were $7.82{\sim}8.39,\;5.31{\sim}11.28mg/L,\;0.13{\sim}1.38mg/L,\;3.05{\sim}11.55mg/L,\;0.005{\sim}0.180mg/L\;and\;0.007{\sim}0.028mg/L$ respectively. Dominant grain size was fine silt and the IL of sediment was ranged from $0.75{\sim}7.26%$. The water content was $20.16{\sim}53.65%$ and highest value was observed in Baegyado. The COD and AVS in the sediments ranged from $0.53{\sim}8.67mg/g-dry$ and $0.002{\sim}0.113mg/g-dry$ respectively. The bottom condition of Baegyado was higher than other area.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.261-271
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• 2011

The gametogenic cycle, the spawning season and the biological minimum sizes in female and male Protothaca (Notochione) jedoensis were investigated by quantitative statistical analysis. In females, monthly changes in the percents of the follicle areas to the ovarian tissue areas and the percents of the oocyte areas to the ovarian tissue areas increased in February and reached the maximum in April, and then gradually decreased from May to July, with the spawning peak between June and July. In males, monthly changes in the percents of the testicular tissue areas to total tissue areas and the percents of the spermatogenic stage areas to the testicular tissue areas increased in February and reached the maximum in April, and then showed a rapid decrease from May to July. From these data, it is apparent that the number of spawning seasons in female and male P. (N.) jedoensis occurred once a year, from May to July. Therefore, P. (N.) jedoensis in both sexes showed a unimodal gametogenic cycle during the year. Compared the gametogenic cycle by quantitative statistical analysis in 2007 with the previous qualitative results of this species, the results of the gametogenic cycle calculated by quantitative statistical analysis showed some differentiations in the spawning seasons evaluated by the gonad index by qualitative histological analysis. The intervals of the beginning of two spawning seasons showed one month between the results of quantitative and qualitative analyses. The biological minimum sizes (considering to 50% of group sexual maturity) in female and male clams by quantitative analysis of this species are 32.01 mm in shell length in females and 30.58 mm in males, respectively. According to the mean shell length fitted to von Bertalanffy's equation, 30.58 and 32.01 mm in shell length were considered to be two years old. Therefore, we assume that both sexes of this population begin reproduction from two years of age.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.9-17
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• 2003

The gonad index (GI), reproductive cycle with gonad developmental phases, first sexual maturity and the sex ratio of the jedo venus, Protothaca jedensis, on the coastal waters of Boryeong, Korea were investigated by histological study. Samples were collected from the subtidal zone of Boryeong, Korea from January to December, 1999. Monthly changes in the gonad index in femal and male clams gradually increased from February and reached the maximum in May, and then the values rapidly decreased from June and reached the minimum in November as seen in variations of the reproductive cycle. The spawning period of this species was once a year between May and July, there was a spawning peak between June and July when seawater temperature was over 20$^{\circ}C$. The reproductive cycle of this species in female and male clams can be classified into five successive stages: early active stage (December to March), late active stage (February to June), ripe stage (April to July), partially spawned stage (May to July) and spent/inactive stage (July to January). Percentages of first sexual maturity of female and male clams of 30.1-35.0 mm in shell length were 52.6% and 60.0%, respectively, and 100% for the clams over 45.1 mm in shell length. The sex ratio of individuals > 30.1 mm in shell length was 1:1 (X$^2$ = 0.40, p > 0.05).