Abstract

This study presents physiological rates of oxygen consumption, ammonia excretion, feeding rates, O/N ratio and assimilation efficiency of the blood cockle, Scapharca subcrenata, determined from specimens collected in Yeoja bay on the south coast of Korea. Physiological parameters were measured monthly under static, laboratory controlled conditions with ambient conditions, and measurements were performed seasonally in order to estimate scope for growth and its probable sources of variation. Oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion rates have been increased as temperature increased with the highest value of August, 2008. Feeding rate was the highest during April whereas the lowest was during August which is a period of gametogenesis with minimum biomass of phytoplankton around sampling area. Assimilation efficiency was not significantly different seasonally and O/N ratio decreased during July to August. The scope for growth was negative during high temperature months(July to August), reflecting the high temperature and low feeding rate, and had its highest positive values during spring and autumn. Data on the physiological parameters and scope for growth of Scapharca subcrenata obtained in this study will be used to assess the carrying capacity for blood cockle cultivation.