FECUNDITY OF THE SOUTHERN ATLANTIC SURFCLAM SPISULA SOLIDISSIMA SIMILIS

摘要

Fecundity estimates for two groups of the southern Atlantic surfclam Spisula solidissima similis, a subspecies of the Atlantic surfclam S. solidissima, from St. Catherines Sound, Georgia, were determined in laboratory spawning trials. For I-year-old clams ranging in shell length from 26 to 50 mm, egg production per female ranged from 0.14 million to 13 million eggs. The House Creek group produced a greater mean number of eggs per female (4.8 x 10(6) versus 1.7 x 10(6)) and spawned 2.8 times more than a St. Catherines Sound group. Overall, eggs from the House Creek group (mean, 59.1 mu m) were significantly larger (P < 0.0001) than eggs (mean, 57.4 mu m) from the St. Catherines Sound group. Although small in size, 1-year-old southern Atlantic surfclams can produce sufficient numbers of eggs per female to be used as broodstock for the development of an aquacultural fishery for this subspecies.