• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.227-231
• /
• 1978

Effects of suspended silt and clay on the survival of the rearing bivalves, Meretrix lusoria, Cyclina sinensis and Mactra veneriformis were studied. During sixty-five days of experimental cultures in different concentrations of suspended silt and clay and in different time of immersions, mortalities of the bivalves were checked every day, and the rates of shell movement and oxygen consumption were measured. In general, the higher the concentration of silt and clay and the longer the immersion time, the earlier the occurence, and the higher the rate of the mortalities of the experimental bivalves. M. veneriformis was subjected to earlier mortality than the others, and the period of $50\%$ mortality was the shortest of the three species (37 days in 1,000 ppm), and longer was that of C. sinensis(42 days). Mortality of M. lusoria occured latest and $50\%$ mortality was seen at the immersion time of 50-51 days. Particularly, M. lusoria showed no mortality in the sea water with 100 ppm of suspended silt and clay, and even in the concentrations of 500 or 1,000 ppm they were able to survive without mortality only if the immersion time was short (12-18 hours per day). M. veneriformis and C. sinensis were also able to survive without mortality when the immersion time was short (12 hours per day) in low concentration (100 ppm). Shell movements of experimental bivalves varied depending upon species. In the case of M. veneriformis the shell was opened continuously and C. sinensis opened their shells frequently, while M. lusoria maintained their shells closed in any experimental concentrations of sea water with suspended silt and clay. Total metabolic activity of M. veneriformis was found to be highest while that of M. lusoria showed the lowest. Little difference of oxygen consumption in excised gill tissue was shown between the control group and the experimental groups. Consequently, it may be stated that the mortality results from a immersion in sea water with high concentration of suspended silt and clay for long-time although the survival rates of the experimental bivalves depend also upon the species, physiological conditions, concentration of suspended silt and clay and immersion time. The survival percentage of bivalve y in relation to the time (day) of immersion X in sea water of suspended silt and clay was found to be: $$M.\;lusoria\;(1,000\;ppm):\;y=7.7\times10^9\;\chi^{-4.77}\;(500\;ppm):\;y=259\chi^{-0.26}$$ $$C.\;sinensis\;(1,000\;ppm):\;y=-21\chi+936\;(\chi<44),\;y=-0.65\;\chi+35\;(\chi>44)$$ $$(500\;ppm):\;y=4.4\times10^5\;\chi^{-2.27}$$ $$M.\;veneriformis\;(1,000\;ppm):\;y=-18\chi+716\;(\chi<39),\;y=-0.89\chi+39\;(\chi>39)$$