Table Of Content
MARINE BIOLOGY
C F
LAM ISHERIES
AND AQUACULTURE
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M B
ARINE IOLOGY
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F , F F
ISH ISHING AND ISHERIES
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MARINE BIOLOGY
C F
LAM ISHERIES
AND AQUACULTURE
FIZ DA COSTA GONZÁLEZ
EDITOR
New York
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Clam fisheries and aquaculture / editor, Fiz da Costa Gonzalez.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN: (cid:28)(cid:26)(cid:27)(cid:16)(cid:20)(cid:16)(cid:25)(cid:21)(cid:21)(cid:24)(cid:26)(cid:16)(cid:24)(cid:21)(cid:20)(cid:16)(cid:22) (eBook)
1. Clam fisheries. 2. Clam culture. I. Costa Gonzalez, Fiz da.
SH373.C53 2012
639.9'744--dc23
2012025361
Published by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. † New York
CONTENTS
Preface vii
List of Reviewers ix
Chapter 1 Introduction to the Biology of Clams 1
F. da Costa
Chapter 2 Aspects of Global Distribution of Six Marine Bivalve
Mollusc Families 27
H. Saeedi and M. J. Costello
Chapter 3 Clam Reproduction 45
F. da Costa, J. A. Aranda-Burgos, A. Cerviño-Otero,
A. Fernández-Pardo, A. Louzán, S. Nóvoa, J. Ojea
and D. Martínez-Patiño
Chapter 4 Genetic Studies on Commercially Important
Species of Veneridae 73
A. Arias-Pérez; A. Insua; R. Freire; J. Méndez
and J. Fernández-Tajes
Chapter 5 Clam Symbionts 107
C. López, S. Darriba and J. I. Navas
Chapter 6 Neoplasms in Clams 149
M. Ruiz and C. López
Chapter 7 Advances in the Knowledge of the Microbiota
Associated with Clams from Natural Beds 163
J. L. Romalde, A. L. Diéguez, A. Doce, A. Lasa,
S. Balboa, C. López and R. Beaz-Hidalgo
Chapter 8 Studies on the Microbiota Associated with Clams
in Hatcheries 191
S. Prado, J. Dubert and J. L. Barja
Chapter 9 Clam Hatchery and Nursery Culture 217
F. da Costa, J. A. Aranda-Burgos, A. Cerviño-Otero,
A. Fernández-Pardo, A. Louzán, S. Nóvoa, J. Ojea
and D. Martínez-Patiño
vi Contents
Chapter 10 Clam Production and Cultivation in Galicia (NW Spain):
The Role of Hatcheries 255
A. Guerra Díaz
Chapter 11 Artisanal Exploitation of Natural Clam Beds:
Organization and Management Tools 273
J. M. Parada and J. Molares
Chapter 12 Clam Fisheries Worldwide: Main Species, Harvesting
Methods and Fishing Impacts 291
M. B. Gaspar, I. Barracha, S. Carvalho
and P. Vasconcelos
Chapter 13 The Habitat, Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Volta Clam,
Galatea Paradoxa in the Lower Volta River in Ghana:
An Example of the Worldwide Importance
of Brackish Water Clams 329
C. Amoah and P. K. Ofori-Danson
Chapter 14 Clams as Biological Tools in Marine Ecotoxicology 343
R. Beiras
Index 365
PREFACE
Mollusca is one of the largest phyla in the animal kingdom, over 50,000 species having
been described, thus comprising more than a half of the marine species. Molluscs are
scientifically and economically important invertebrates, representing 8% of all captured
marine species. One of the six molluscan classes is Bivalvia, which is composed of both
marine and freshwater animals enclosed in shells with two valves. Among these, the groups
of greatest economic importance are oysters, scallops, mussels and clams. This book deals
with clams in the broad sense of the term, since there are several bivalve families falling into
the “clam” category. The selection of the families is primarily based on their respective
economic importance, in terms of fisheries and aquaculture production. These selected
families are Veneridae (venus shells), Mactridae (surf clams), Donacidae (wedge shells),
Myidae (softshell clams), Pharidae and Solenidae (razor clams). It must be remarked that, in
some chapters or sections within them, species belonging to other families of clams are cited.
When I began to compile and edit this book I reflected on the large number of
comprehensive and high-quality books concerned with clam biology and aquaculture
available at the moment. However, I came to the conclusion that, though there are several
books which are very good sources of information, some of these have not been updated,
while others have focused on just a single species. Consequently, the purpose of this volume
is both to gather together information on the six families of clams, referring to those aspects
of biology that influence fisheries and aquaculture, and to provide information about the
current status of clam culture and fisheries in a worldwide context.
Chapter 1 is a brief introduction to clams, and provides information about the importance
of their captures and aquaculture production within a worldwide context, their taxonomy, the
morphological features which define each family, their basic anatomy and habitat
preferences. Chapter 2 gathers together information about clam distribution from open-access
databases, and provides distribution maps for each clam family. A review of published data
about the reproductive cycles of clams is conducted in Chapter 3, describing the different
phases of their gametogenic cycles, how a study of them can be tackled and the different
factors affecting clam reproduction. Chapter 4 describes the genetic techniques currently
available that serve as tools for species identification, conservation biology and stock
management, and clam production. Diseases and parasites affecting clams are covered in
Chapter 5, whilst Chapter 6 reviews the neoplasms (or tumors) that affect different species of
clams. The microbiota associated with clams in natural beds and hatcheries are dealt with in
Chapters 7 and 8, respectively. Chapter 9 deals with clam hatchery and nursery culture in
land-based facilities, whilst Chapter 10 analyses the perspectives of intermediate culture and
viii F. da Costa
grow-out of clams in a specific region (Galicia, NW Spain), where more than 90% of Spanish
molluscs are produced. Chapter 11 describes the organization and management tools used in
Galicia for artisanal exploitation of clam beds, as an example of how a region or country can
manage the production of shellfish resources. Chapter 12 reviews clam fisheries worldwide,
analyzing the main species captured, harvesting methods currently employed and the fishing
impacts they produce. Chapter 13 deals with the habitat, fisheries and aquaculture of Galatea
paradoxa, a freshwater clam, as an example of the diversity of habitats occupied by clams.
Finally, Chapter 14 reviews currect knowledge about clams as a tool for ecotoxicological
studies, highlighting the ecological significance of this group of species and their usefulness
with regard to the assessment of coastal pollution.
The names of all the species included in this book have been checked for verification
status in WORMS (World Register of Marine Species) (http://www.marinespecies.org), due to
the huge variability in the use of different scientific names and the use of synonyms for a
single species existing in the literature. Our purpose has been to provide the reader with the
species names and classification according to an authoritative, updated source. Moreover, the
species were also placed in families according to the WORMS classification, in order to
achieve uniformity within this book. When the species name checked was found not to be
included in the WORMS database, it was kept unchanged (i.e. as cited in the original source of
data).
My gratitude is due to all the authors of the chapters for devoting their scant time to
contribute to this book, for their great perseverance in completing their chapters, and for their
invaluable advice. I would also like to thank the reviewers who assisted the authors and editor
in enhancing the quality of the content of this book. In addition, I would like to acknowledge
the postdoctoral grant provided by the Fundación Juana de Vega, which helped me to bring
the editing of this volume to a successful conclusion. Finally, thanks are due to the team at
Nova Publishers, and especially to Carra Feagaiga, for their patience in dealing with all my
questions.
Fiz da Costa
March, 2012
