Abstract

In this study, we transplanted Chinese (Liaoning Dandong) and Chungnam (Taean) manila clam seeds to Gochang tidal flats in Jeonbuk province, and compared growth, mortality, and condition indices from May 2015 to August 2016. Within 2 months after transplantation, clam mortality of Chungnam and Chinese origin were $6.9{\pm}4.3%$, $16.9{\pm}7.9{\sim}21.0{\pm}6.3%$, respectively. We supposed that higher mortality of Chinese manila clams might be due to higher stress and weakening of physiological functions by air-exposure and unavailability of food intake for 5 days harvesting, transportation, quarantine procedures. Unlike the local clam farmer's opinion based on their field experience, growth of Chungnam clams in shell length and total weight were a little better than Chinese without statistical significant difference (P > 0.05). Condition indices of Chinese clams showed declining tendency after reaching a peak in May 2014, and in June 2015, respectively. Meanwhile, Chungnam clams has reached its peak of condition indices in May 2014 and in April 2015, respectively. From this result, we supposed that there might be at least one month difference in reproduction between the Chinese and Chungnam manila clams during the first-transplanted year. Because the mortality of adult clam have sharply increased from June 2015 (due to high temperature, few rainfall and spawning) in Gochang tidal flat, it would be recommendable that farmers harvest the clams before June when its shell length are larger than 40 mm. In conclusion, we could directly compare the productivity of Chinese and Chungnam manila clam at Gochang tidal flats by field experiment, and these results are also meaningful to manila clam farmers.