Investigating the Link between Microalgal Nutrition and the Environment in Hen Clam (Mactra chinensis) Larvae Growth and Survival

Abstract

Historically, various types of shellfish inhabited the Jeju area to the extent that large mounds of shells were found. However, the most endangered of such species, Mactra chinensis, currently inhabits only a few villages on Jeju Island. This pioneering study aimed to explore the effect of the environment on M. chinensis larval growth on Jeju Island. First, we assume that the findings of this study are based on the specific environmental situations and conditions of Jeju Island. This study mostly explored the effects of environment and food diversity (microalgal species) on the growth and survival of M. chinensis (hen clam) larvae. The average seawater temperature ranges between 19 and 22 °C during the summer season. We tested analogous seawater temperature conditions specific to the Jeju coastal environment: 17, 22, 27 and 32 °C. M. chinensis larvae reared at higher temperatures experienced higher growth but lower survival rates, reaching shell lengths of >220 μm at 15 days after hatching. The larvae exhibited the lowest growth (149.3 μm shell length) at 17 °C. Moreover, the M. chinensis larvae had the highest daily growth and survival rate of 10.3 μm and 75.5%, respectively, at a salinity of 30 practical salinity units (psu). For breeding Jeju hen clams, we found that the optimal water temperature and salinity for larval rearing were 22 °C and 30–35 psu, respectively. Larvae fed only I. galbana or Isochrysis sp. also exhibited high growth and survival rates. However, larvae restricted to a diet containing only P. lutheri exhibited low growth and survival rates. Therefore, the optimal diet of M. chinensis larvae should include more than one species of microalga, particularly I. galbana and Isochrysis sp., to increase their growth and survival rates, and hence the productivity of this clam species.