Feeding of Juvenile Purple Washington Clam, Saxidomus purpuratus (Sowerby): Effects of Algal Concentration and Temperature

To find the optimal rearing conditions for Saxidomus purpuratus juvenile, filtering activity was estimated as functions of algal concentration and temperature by measuring the rates of clearance (CR) and ingestion (IR), when S. purpuratus was feeding. The clams were fed on unialgal diet of Isochrysis galbana at 6 algal concentrations (4.6$\times$$10^4$~2.6$\times$$10^6$ cells/ml) and at 6 temperatures (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30^{\circ}C ). Algal concentration significantly affected the CR and the IR at all temperatures. At lower algal concentrations, CR increased, but decreased beyond a particular concentration. The maximum CR ($CR_{max}$) at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30^{\circ}C were 0.30, 1.73, 5.95, 15.17, 21.12, and 0.33 $l/g/h$, respectively. Below the level of 5.6$\times$10$^{5}$ cells/ml, IR increased as algal concentration increased, but was saturated at higher concentrations. To maintain high growth rate of S. purpuratus, I. galbana should be supplied with more than 5.6$\times$10$^{5}$ cells/ml. The maximum IR ($IR_{max}$) at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and30^{\circ}C were $2.2$\times$10^8, $1.5\times$10^9, 3.4$\times$10^9, 4.9$\times$10^9, 5.3$\times$10^9, and 1.0$\times$10^8$ cells/g/h, respectively. As for temperature, both $CR_max$ and $IR_max$ increased remarkably with raising temperature from 5 to 25^{\circ}C, but rapidly decreased at 30^{\circ}C. Between 15 and 25^{\circ}C $CR_{max} and IR_{max}$ were higher and most stable, At this temperature range, the $Q_{10}/s for CR_{max} and IR_{max}$ were 3.5 and 1.6, respectively. Therefore the optimal thermal range for the juvenile is 15~$25^{\circ}C$. The annual variation in IR$_{max}$ predicted by natural seawater temperature shows that inactive period (with lower $IR_max$) lasts for 5 months (from December to April). To ensure higher growth of juvenile during this inactive period at hatcheries, rearing temperature should be elevated to $15^{\circ}C$.>.