Temporal Variation in the Reproductive Effort and Tissue Biochemical Composition in Manila Clam, Ruditapes philippinarum from a Sand Flat on the East Coast of Jeju Island Korea

Abstract

In the present study, we investigated temporal variation in the reproductive effort and biochemical contents in adult Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum at Shi-Heung-Ri beach on the east coast of Jeju Island. Gonad-somatic index (GSI), a ratio of the egg mass to the total biomass determined using ELISA increased dramatically from late May to June (7.1% to 19.5%). In mid-July, GSI dropped to 15.1%, indicating spawning on a small scale during this period. GSI also declined dramatically from late August (15.5%) to September (4.3%), suggesting that massive spawning occurred during this period. A positive correlation was observed between clam size and potential fecundity, while potential fecundity ranged between 1.19−8.40 million eggs/clam. Total proteins and lipids in the tissue increased from late spring to mid-summer, coinciding with an increase in GSI. Protein, lipid and carbohydrate contents in the tissue were lowest in January, indicating that clams were suffering from poor nutritional circumstances, which may be associated with poor food supply from the environment. Monthly increase and/or decrease in the body weight were closely related to gonad maturation and subsequent spawning, which was also linked to temporal changes in the contents of protein, lipid and carbohydrates in the tissue.