Spatial Variation in the Reproductive Effort of Mania Clam Ruditapes philippinarum during Spawning and Effects of the Protozoan Parasite Perkinsus olseni Infection on the Reproductive Effort

Spatial variation in the reproductive effort of Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum is often closely associated with variation in the seawater temperature and food availability, which determines gonad maturity and the quantity of gamates produced during spawning. Previous studies also have reported that severe infection by the protozoan parasite Perkinsus olseni exerts a negative impact on clam reproduction, retarding gonad maturation or decreasing the reproductive effort. In the present study, we investigated impacts of P. olseni infection on the reproductive condition of Manila clam during a spawning season. Histology revealed that 54% of female clams in Wando off the south coast were in spawning, while only 10% of the female from Gomso and 0% of the female from Seonjaedo in Gyeonggi bay off the west coast were engaged in spawning at the end of May in 2004. Ray's fluid thioglycollate media (RFTM) assay was applied to assess P. olseni infection and indicated that the infection intensity in Wando ($3,608,000{\pm}258,000cells/g$ wet tissue) was significantly higher than the levels in Gomso ($1,305,000{\pm}106,000cells/g$ wet tissue) and Seonjaedo ($1,083,000{\pm}137,000cells/g$ wet tissue, p < 0.001). The size of the ripe female follicle determined from histology was significantly smaller in Wando ($0.032mm^2$) compared to the sizes in Gomso ($0.059mm^2$) and Seonjaedo ($0.052mm^2$, p < 0.05). Accordingly, the number of ripe eggs in the follicle was significantly fewer among clams in Wando (14) compared to the numbers determined in Gomso (23) and Seonjaedo (22). The absolute quantity of egg in ripe clams from Wando (31.01 mg) was also significantly smaller than Seonjaedo (61.79 mg) and Gomso (133.3 mg). Quantity of total protein, carbohydrate, and lipid in the tissue in the Wando samples was significantly smaller than the quantities determined in Gomso and Seonjaedo (p < 0.001). The observed poor reproductive condition and proximate tissue composition of the females in Wando were, in part, explained by the extremely high level of the parasites, sapping the ability to store energy in the host tissues, which is used in tissue growth and the egg production.

여름철 산란기에 있어 바지락 번식량의 공간적 변이와 기생 원생생물 Perkinsus olseni 감염이 바지락 번식에 미치는 영향

이 연구에서는 바지락의 성 성숙이 활발한 봄철에 경기만 선재도, 전북 곰소만, 및 남해 완도 등, 연중 수온 분포가 다른 지역에 분포하는 바지락 채집하여 P. olseni 감염이 번식에 미치는 영향을 조사하였다. 바지락의 산란은 연중 수온이 곰소나 선재도보다 높은 완도 바지락이 서해안 곰소 및 선재도 바지락보다 빠른 성 성숙 및 산란 활동을 보였다. P. olseni 감염이 바지락의 번식에 미치는 영향은 감염도가 다른 지역에 비해 세 배 이상 높은 완도에서 관찰되었으며, 완도 바지락은 여포 크기, 여포 내 성숙 난의 수 및 번식량 등이 타 지역보다 유의적으로 낮았다. 따라서 P. olseni 감염은 폐사 이외에도 다른 연구에서 밝혀진 바와 같이 번식 활동에 부정적인 영향을 미치는 것으로 확인되었다.