New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

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Spawning, settlement, and growth of the New Zealand venerid Ruditapes largillierti (Philippi 1849) in culture

GREG N. KENT⁺
GREG B. MAGUIRE¹
IAN DUTHIE²

School of Aquaculture
University of Tasmania
P. O. Box 1214, Launceston
Tasmania 7250
Australia
email: gkent@utas.edu.au

RICHARD PUGH³

Geordy River Aquaculture
Binalong Bay Rd, St Helens
Tasmania 7216
Australia

¹Present address: Fisheries Department of Western Australia, P. O. Box 20, North Beach, WA 6020, Australia.

²Present address: Geordy River Aquaculture, Binalong Bay Rd, St Helens, Tasmania 7216, Australia.

³Present address: Balinga Marine Culture Pty Ltd, P. O. Box 50, Woodbridge, Tasmania 7162, Australia.

Abstract  Spawning, larval rearing, and growout of Ruditapes largillierti (Philippi 1849) were investigated in a series of trials conducted at the University of Tasmania (UTAS), Launceston and Georges Bay, St Helens, Tasmania, Australia. Intramuscular injection of serotonin (3 x 10^-7 to 1.5 x 10^-6 moles) failed to induce spawning in female Ruditapes largillierti, although some males did spawn. Fecundity of R. largillierti induced to spawn by thermal stimulus ranged from 0.5 to 0.9 x 10⁶ eggs female^-1. Fertilised eggs developed into trochophore larvae by 24 h at 20deg.C and D veligers with a mean shell length of 85.3 +/- 4.7 um within 48 h. Early larvae were frequently deformed and their mortality rates were very high. Development to pediveliger stage (mean shell length 200.3 +/- 7.3 um) took between 11 and 16 days at 20deg.C, and metamorphosis to spat (mean shell length 240 um) occurred between Days 16 and 19. There was no significant difference in efficacy of epinephrine, norepinephrine, or untreated groups for inducing larval settlement. Average growth of juveniles held subtidally within trays or baskets (mesh size 1.7-12.0 mm) was 1.3 mm month^-1. The aquaculture potential of this subtidal venerid clam warrants further investigation.

Keywords  clam; venerid; Venerupis; Ruditapes; largillierti; spawning; larval rearing; survival; growth

⁺Author to whom correspondence is to be addressed.
M98023
Received 12 May 1998; accepted 17 August 1998

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