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1.
The present study is a first attempt at evaluating the effects of repeated disturbance, such as that caused by mechanical fishing systems, on the target species, Tapes philippinarum, intensively exploited in the Lagoon of Venice (North-East Italy). In particular, in free-access fishing grounds, detrimental effects of dredging may be suffered by under-sized clams, which are disturbed by fishing tools many times throughout their lives before they are collected. Similar mechanical stress conditions are experienced by T. philippinarum in licensed areas, where they are farmed in aquaculture conditions and undergo the harmful impact of hydraulic dredging. To evaluate the effects of short-term mechanical stress, under-sized clams were subjected to experimental shaking in the laboratory, and detrimental effects on their well-being were investigated by applying the biomarker approach. Changes in physiological, biochemical and behavioural responses were evaluated by determining scope for growth, adenylate energy charge, survival in air time, reburrowing time, and shell damage level. Responses highlighted general worsening in clam condition as mechanical stress increased. Among the various measurements, survival in air and reburrowing time appeared particularly suitable as indices, their responsiveness and applicability suggesting their use in assessing mechanical stress due to dredging in field conditions. 相似文献
2.
Paolo Breber 《Aquaculture (Amsterdam, Netherlands)》1985,44(1):51-56
Tapes decussatus, a highly-prized Italian clam, retailing at US$6-12/kg, was cultured in Venice Lagoon for two years. Wild seed, 21 mm (1.4 g) in size, sown in the lagoon sediment at a density of about 1000 individuals/m2, grew to 32 mm (5.5 g) in the first year and to 40 mm (11.5 g) in the second. Mortality was 10% in the first year and 25% in the second. Deaths were mostly caused by the pathogens Perkinsus marinus and Bacciger bacciger. Predation was low and no protection was needed. Potential clam culture in Venice Lagoon is limited by the great summer growths of the macroalgae, Ulva rigida and Gracilaria sp., which must be raked off at least once a week to stop the clams being smothered. Although there are certain areas that are too soft and boggy for farming, Venice Lagoon still has hundreds of hectares available for the potential cultivation of T. decussatus. 相似文献
3.
Rita Constantino Miguel B. Gaspar Fábio Pereira Susana Carvalho João Cúrdia Domitília Matias Carlos C. Monteiro 《水产资源保护:海洋与淡水生态系统》2009,19(5):542-553
- 1. Razor clams are found in different habitats ranging from sheltered systems (e.g. lagoons and estuaries) to open coasts. They are distributed worldwide and comprise a small number of species of high economic value. Depending on the specific habitat and species exploited, different mechanical and hand‐harvesting techniques are employed. While the environmental effects resulting from mechanized methods have been described by several authors, the impacts caused by traditional hand‐harvesting methods remain unknown. Therefore, a study was undertaken in Ria Formosa lagoon (South of Portugal) addressing the environmental effects resulting from harvesting Solen marginatus with salt.
- 2. No significant impact on the sediment was found; the main effect was an increase in salinity after covering the area with salt, which decreased rapidly with the flood tide and after a few hours had returned to pre‐harvesting levels.
- 3. No effects on benthic communities were observed, with similar fluctuation patterns recorded in control and experimental areas, the observed differences being attributed to the natural variability of benthic populations.
- 4. Based on the results obtained in the present study, a razor clam fishery using salt in intertidal areas can be considered environmentally ‘friendly’.
4.
Robyn L. Hean Oscar J. Cacho 《Aquaculture Economics & Management (Blackwell Science)》2013,17(5-6):373-395
Abstract The International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management (ICLARM) has demonstrated that coastal village communities in Solomon Islands can successfully farm giant clams. The production technology is simple and does not require a large capital investment. The main inputs are clam seed, labour and time. Labour is used for activities such as planting, cleaning, thinning and harvesting. In this paper, a bioeconomic model is used to explore optimal farm management for two species of giant clam fanned for the aquarium and seafood markets. The theoretical basis for this analysis is found in the economic theory of optimal forestry exploitation. Optimal management involves finding the combination of the decision variables and the cycle‐length that maximises a stream of discounted profits. The decision variables considered here are husbandry which relates to cleaning, and the frequency with which thinning is undertaken. The optimal cycle‐length is determined for both a single‐clam harvest and multiple harvests for various management scenarios. The labour requirements for these management scenarios are identified for the multiple‐harvest case and input substitution between optimal combinations of labour and cycle‐length is investigated. Results indicate that profits are maximised for both species when husbandry is excellent and labour usage is most intensive. Thinning is only necessary for seafood clams for which the optimal cycle‐length is longer. Village farmers may not be profit maximisers however, and labour spent on giant‐clam farming takes them away from other activities. Rather than investing more labour and harvesting the clams earlier, a village farmer with other objectives may devote less labour and harvest the clams later, and spend more time on other activities. In general, these results are consistent with extension advice provided to village farmers by ICLARM. Optimal solutions were found to be very stable when incorporated into global optimisation routines and sensitivity analysis of a wide range of parameter values. 相似文献
5.
Michele Pellizzato Thomas Galvan Raoul Lazzarini Pierpaolo Penzo 《Aquaculture International》2011,19(3):541-554
Currently, Tapes philippinarum, the Manila clam, is the primary fishery resource for about 1,000 fishermen and aquaculturists in the Venice Lagoon. The
recruitment of this clam is a key component supporting shellfish culture industry that is almost completely dependent on the
gathering of wild clam seed in nursery areas where the juveniles accrue at high densities as a consequence of favourable environmental
conditions. The objective of the present study was to identify the areas optimal for the recruitment of T. philippinarum, herein referred to as nursery areas, and to evaluate the recruitment success each year for the period 2002–2007. Sampling
was conducted with a hydraulic dredge at 25 stations, in at least three separate periods from April to September each year
for 2002, 2003 and 2004, and at 15 stations for 2005, 2006 and 2007. The zero-year cohorts of this species were usually first
detected in bottom samples in late spring (May and June). Some setting appears to occur throughout the summer. The peak of
seed density, expressed as number of individuals retained on a 1-mm mesh screen per square metre of sampled substrate, was recorded in September. Measurable fluctuations in annual recruitment have been observed, with peak densities of juveniles in 2002 and 2003 (about
2,000/m2) and minimum densities in 2006 (about 44/m2). In the summer 2007, densities over 30,000/m2 were found at the mouth of the River Brenta, immediately adjacent to the southern end of the Venice Lagoon. These intensive,
multiyear surveys of this species furnish critical information on seasonal reproduction patterns and recruitment success,
which is essential for the rational development of a local fishing master plan and for the formulation of a management strategy
for sustainable utilisation of this shellfish resource in the Venice Lagoon. 相似文献
6.
Soft shell clams, Mya arenaria, are found from Canada to North Carolina on the U.S. Atlantic Coast and from Canada to California on the U.S. West Coast. They are also found in several other parts of the world including Europe. The primary market for these clams on the U.S. East Coast is in New England. Clams are sold whole live or in one of the several cooked forms. Commercial soft clam shucking and processing is primarily by manual methods. However, physical properties data for these clams is lacking and is a constraint on the automation of processing. Several properties of soft shell clams harvested from five different harvest locations in the Chesapeake Bay are detailed in this paper and relationships between the components of the clam are defined mathematically through regression equations. The live weight and the clam length are related to shell weight, siphon weight, meat weight, total solids and free water in the clams. Meat yields under both standard processing methods and for clams steamed and consumed with only the shell removed are detailed. The effect of harvest area on the clam parts is also defined. Soft shell clams shucked manually result in a meat yield of approximately 29% of the live weight. If steamed and eaten the meat yield may be as high as 43% of the live weight, primarily because the siphon is often consumed in steamed clams. 相似文献
7.
The effects of maintaining the burrowing Manila clam in suspended culture in the sea on flesh weight changes or on condition are not yet known. This work analyses these effects using the condition index and the air survival time of clams. Samples of clams submitted to three different treatments (traditional farming on the lagoon bottom, lagoon suspended culture and open sea suspended culture) were investigated between July and November. The most sensitive of the eight condition indices for comparing the three different breeding systems was AFDW/SV. From the Tukey test (two-way ANOVA), AFDW/SV, exhibited the highest number of significantly different (P < 0.05) cases in a comparison between the month/treatment interactions. This index showed the highest values in lagoon suspension, whereas there was not much difference between bottom farming and sea suspension until after a four-month period: in November the suspended individuals recovered condition, whereas a fall was recorded in the traditional farming area. As regards air survival time, individuals in sediment were more resistant, except in November, when lagoon suspended ones were hardier. Suspended culture, which is necessary for hygiene and health reasons to market the product, is an advantageous necessity for farmers in both lagoon and sea, especially over periods of several months. 相似文献
8.
为评估文蛤生态容量,实验根据动态能量收支理论,基于R语言构建了文蛤动态能量收支模型,采用线性与非线性回归法估算模型参数,通过对比围塘环境下文蛤壳长、湿重、软体部湿重的实测值与模拟值验证模型,并应用于模拟黄海海域滩涂区文蛤的生长过程。结果显示,文蛤模型主要参数形状系数、阿伦纽斯温度系数和单位体积结构物质所需能量分别为0.57、9 278 K和2 056 J/cm3;实测与模拟的文蛤壳长、湿重和软体部湿重相关系数R2平均为0.996,模拟值与实测值的平均误差为3.58%;如东沿海区域6月实测文蛤软体部干重为0.48 g,壳长3.12 cm,模型模拟的软体部干重、湿重和壳长分别为0.476 g,6.6 g和3.2 cm。研究表明,实验构建的文蛤动态能量收支模型的准确度较高,可真实地反映出文蛤在自然水域中的生长过程,为评估文蛤生态容纳量及构建文蛤相关的生态系统模型提供科学参考。 相似文献
9.
With increasing awareness of the use of the coastal zone, it is necessary to understand the potential environmental effects of aquaculture practices. This is especially important when non-native species, which may be competitively superior to native species, are cultivated. A 5-year experiment was established to study the environmental effects of the various stages of Manila clam. Tapes philippinarum Adams & Reeve, cultivation, from seeding, through on-growing, harvesting and post-harvesting. The aim was to monitor changes in biological and physical variables in the sediment which may be useful in formulating an environmental management strategy for the cultivation of this species. This paper describes the biological and physical changes that occur in the sediment during the early phase of clam cultivation. We compared the changes in netted plots (with and without clams) and unnetted control areas, 6 months before and after laying the clams. The clams were planted in April 1992 under netting at a density of 500 m-2 (0.16 kg m-2), and in 6 months, had increased their weight to 3.2 kg m-2 but decreased their number to 410 m-2. A significant, but small increase in organic content (net only plots, 3.37%; control plots 2.42%) and in phaeopigment (netted plots, 8.6 mg m-2; control, 5.6 mg m-2) of the sediment in the netted plots relative to the control areas were seen. Short-term sedimentation rates on the netted plots were up to four times higher than in the control areas. The netting also encouraged the settlement of Enteromorpha sp. which, in turn, attracted Littorina littorea to feed on these plots. The infaunal community in the control areas was similar to that in samples 12 months earlier and continued to be dominated by the predatory polychaete Nephtys hombergii. Netted plots (with and without clams) had a greater abundance of deposit feeding polychaetes. particularly Ampharete acutifrons and Pygospio elegans, which were the dominant fauna in these plots. Within the clam treatments, the density of clams had a negative effect on the abundance of cirratulids, although mean abundance was generally greater than in the control areas. There were few physical changes to the experimental area after 6 months. The most important effect appears to be the increased sedimentation rate over plots with netting, which has led to an increase in productivity of those areas. 相似文献
10.
Mechanical harvesting of intertidal bivalve molluscs inevitably leads to the physical disturbance of the substratum and its associated fauna. Hence, it is necessary to consider the consequences of such activities for the requirements of other species (e.g. fish and birds) which utilize these areas. The present study reports a long-term experiment that studied the effects of Manila clam, Tapes philippinarum Adams & Reeve, cultivation on an estuarine benthic habitat and its fauna. The study began with the initial seeding of the clams, and continued through ongrowing, and finally, harvesting 30 months later. Earlier observations revealed that plots covered with netting elevated sedimentation rate, and hence, encouraged the proliferation of certain deposit-feeding worm species which persisted throughout the cultivation cycle until harvesting took place. The immediate effects of harvesting by suction dredging caused a reduction of infaunal species and their abundance by ～80%. Recovery of the sediment structure and the invertebrate infaunal communities, judged by similarity to the control plots on both the harvested and unharvested but originally netted plots, had occurred 12 months after harvesting. Comparisons with other similar studies demonstrate that, in general, suction harvesting causes large short-term changes to the intertidal habitat. The rate at which recolonization occurs and sediment structure is restored varies according to local hydrography, exposure to natural physical disturbance and sediment stability. The management of clam farming procedures and other forms of mechanical harvesting should incorporate a consideration of site selection, rotational seeding, cultivation and harvesting to create fallow areas, and seasonal harvesting to ameliorate the recovery of sites. 相似文献
11.
William S. Arnold Sarah L. Walters Jonathan S. Fajans Sarah C. Peters Theresa M. Bert 《Aquaculture International》2004,12(2):139-160
Throughout their range, hard clams of the genus Mercenaria support important commercial fisheries, and hard clam aquaculture is rapidly developing in several regions, including Florida, USA. Commercial hard clam aquaculture in Florida waters originated in the Indian River Lagoon during the late 1970s, but by the early 1990s the focus of the industry had shifted to Cedar Key on the west coast of the state. There, the species Mercenaria campechiensis predominates the natural hard clam population, whereas Mercenaria mercenaria is predominant in the local aquaculture industry. The two species hybridize extensively. The present study was conducted to estimate the genetic implications of M. mercenaria aquaculture on the natural population of M. campechiensis that occupies Cedar Key waters. We sampled a variety of marine and estuarine habitats surrounding Cedar Key and collected 257 hard clams for analysis of species-specific diagnostic allozyme loci, age, and the presence and stage of gonadal neoplasia. Results indicate that the composition of the hard clam population has changed since the advent of aquaculture (i.e., post-aquaculture). Members of the species M. mercenaria were practically nonexistent prior to the 1993 initiation of aquaculture in the area but increased significantly in abundance post-aquaculture, as did hybrid hard clams. There was no significant difference in the abundance of M. campechiensis pre- versus post-aquaculture. All genotype classes had a high incidence (>80%) of gonadal neoplasia, although it is not clear if this high incidence is a reflection of the introduction of aquaculture into the area or if neoplasia was a common feature of the population prior to 1993. Regardless, this finding is not consistent with previous reports that neoplasia is more common in hybrid hard clams. Overall, the results of this study provide clear evidence that culture of M. mercenaria can influence the genotype composition of naturally occurring congeneric populations in the vicinity of the culture operation. The long-term implications of that influence remain to be seen. 相似文献
12.
The use of biomarkers as early-warning signals to assess the impact of pollutants and other environmental stressors in coastal
habitats has been internationally recognized as a useful tool in marine coastal monitoring. We propose a similar approach
to verify the welfare of edible shellfish, Ruditapes philippinarum, thus exploiting its possible application as an effective tool to verify the origin of fishing/aquaculture products. A selected
battery of biomarkers was chosen and applied to organisms from two different habitats in the Lagoon of Venice (a farming site
and a natural area where fishing is currently banned, because of pollution problems) and from a local market. Biological responses
were evaluated physiologically (survival in air test and condition index), behaviourally (reburrowing rate), and histochemically
(quantification of neutral lipids and lipofuscin). Micropollutants (heavy metals, PCBs, and PAHs) were also determined in
the soft tissues. Results indicated clams from the farming site were in the best condition with regard to both chemical and
biological measurements. In contrast, the market sample contained the highest concentrations of PAHs. PCBs and heavy metals
varied slightly and quite irregularly among the three samples. The worst values of the biomarkers were observed for clams
collected at the polluted site, where, in particular, the lowest physiological and behavioural indexes and the highest accumulation
of lipofuscin in the digestive tissue were recorded. 相似文献
13.
In this study, the energy budget of the Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum, was evaluated after one-week acclimation periods at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25°C. Small clams (151 ± 12 mg DW) and large clams
(353 ± 16 mg DW) were fed with the microalgae, Isochrysis galbana. Filtration rate, ingestion rate, assimilation efficiency, oxygen-consumption rate, and ammonia excretion rate were measured.
Both filtration rate and ingestion rate of small and large clams were found to be related to temperature. The highest Q
10 values were measured in the range 15–20°C for both small and large clams. Assimilation efficiency of both small and large
clams was not significantly influenced by temperature, although the maximum mean values were detected at 20°C. Oxygen consumption
rate and ammonia excretion rate of small and large clams were found to be related directly to temperature over the entire
range, with a maximum being detected at 25°C. The highest Q
10 value was estimated in the range 10–15°C with regard to oxygen consumption rate, and in the range of 15–20°C with regard
to ammonia excretion rate. Scope for growth (SFG) was positive at all temperatures, achieving a maximum value at 20°C in both
small and large clams, primarily as a consequence of the enhanced ingestion rate which offset the concomitant elevation in
the metabolic rate. In this study we have estimated the thermal optimum for this species at 20°C. 相似文献
14.
The gametogenic cycle of the clam Tapes philippinarum was studied in two populations from different areas of the Lagoon of Venice: S. Angelo (central basin) and Chioggia (southern basin). Samples were collected at regular intervals from July 2000 to July 2001. The study was performed by microscopic observations of histological sections of gonadic tissue and by measuring follicular and oocyte sizes by image analysis. Gametogenesis began in January and was clearly evident until May. Ripe clams appeared in April, and most active spawning occurred in May, continuing during summer until September. Measurements performed using image analysis (i.e., follicular area, percentage of reproductive tissue, oocyte diameter, percentage of resorbing area) highlighted environmental differences between the two sampling sites, demonstrating the better condition of clams from Chioggia. 相似文献
15.
Mortality of the short-neck clam Ruditapes philippinarum exposed to the toxic dinoflagellate Heterocapsa circularisquama was studied under controlled conditions to clarify the mechanisms of recurrent mass deaths of clams occurring in western
Japanese coastal areas. One-week mortality tests, involving three water temperatures, six H. circularisquama concentrations, and two clam body sizes, showed a significant increase in mortality with increasing temperature, H. circularisquama concentration, exposure duration, and body size (ANOVA, P < 0.01). Clam death was observed at concentrations as low as 50 cells/ml and temperatures as low as 15°C. Prior to death,
clams showed an extreme retraction of their mantle edge and siphon, along with recurrent vomiting behavior before initiating
a closure reaction followed by paralysis then death. Gills of paralyzed clams showed an important uptake of dye, implying
gill damage. This study is the first laboratory evidence of bivalve mortality induced by H. circularisquama at low concentrations and low temperature, and the first report of differential effects according to the body size of bivalves. 相似文献
16.
James R. Guest Peter A. Todd Eugene Goh Balasubramaniam S. Sivalonganathan Konda P. Reddy 《水产资源保护:海洋与淡水生态系统》2008,18(5):570-579
- 1. Giant clams have been a sustainable resource for millennia, but unregulated harvesting has led to local extinctions within the Indo‐Pacific region. Giant clam mariculture can produce large numbers of juveniles for restocking wild populations where natural recruitment is low or absent.
- 2. Singapore is surrounded by more than 60 small islands, many with fringing reefs. These reefs, however, experience increased turbidity and sedimentation resulting from massive coastal development projects and regular dredging of shipping lanes.
- 3. Seven reefs off Singapore's southern islands were surveyed (9670 m2) for giant clams. Also, an experiment was conducted to determine the growth of Tridacna squamosa reared in aquaria under three light treatments: ～50% ambient photosynthetically active radiation (PAR); ～25% ambient PAR; and ～12% ambient PAR. Finally, 144 clams (T. squamosa) were transplanted to four reefs around Singapore to study survival and growth in a heavily impacted environment.
- 4. A total of 23 adult clams from three species were found during the survey, representing a mean density of 0.24 per 100 m2. Most clams were found at Raffles Lighthouse, Singapore's ‘best’ reef. No juvenile clams were encountered. In the aquarium experiment, clam growth was significantly different among the three light treatments, with growth greatest in the ～50% ambient PAR treatment. Of the 144 transplanted clams, 116 (80.6%) were recovered after 7 months. All specimens had increased in size, with growth rates among reefs ranging from 3.3 mm month?1 (SD=1.3 mm) to 4.8 mm month?1 (SD=1.6 mm).
- 5. Results suggest that, despite high levels of sedimentation and turbidity on Singapore's reefs, giant clams can survive and grow well. Restocking efforts using maricultured clams may be effective in enhancing the dwindling local populations. It is not clear, however, whether a self‐sustaining community can be established as high sedimentation may hinder larval settlement and survival.
17.
Recruitment and movement of the hard clam Meretrix lusoria in a tidal river of northern Kyushu,Japan
Yasuhisa Henmi Satoshi Kobayashi Junpei Yamaguchi Masahiro Hashiguchi 《Fisheries Science》2014,80(4):705-714
Size-frequency distributions of Meretrix lusoria, a commercially important bivalve in Japan, were compared among 6 sites in tidal flats of a small river in Kafuri Bay, northern Kyushu, Japan during 2006–2008. In Kafuri Bay, the hard clam resource is strictly managed and mean biomass of this species on the fishing ground (about 1.5 km2) exceeded 1.5 kg m?2 in 2008. Small clams (<5 mm in shell length, SL) were most abundant in the border area between the river and the sea, while large clams (>40 mm SL) were rare there. In contrast, in the lower site of the marine area (site L), most clams were >30 mm SL. These results indicate that small clams move from riverine to marine areas with growth (post-settlement movement). Year-round, very small clams (<1 mm SL) were present and clams that were 2–5 mm SL were very rare, although the spawning season is thought to occur in summer. Probably, the early growth of many new recruits is very slow and most may even be <1 mm SL in the next spring, although some clams grow to >5 mm SL in a short period of time. 相似文献
18.
Juvenile giant clams (Hippopus spp. and Tridacna spp.) are highly valuable and popular in the aquarium trade due to their brightly colored mantles with various patterns. Giant clams are unique bivalves in that they possess symbiotic zooxanthellae (Symbiodinium). A previous study by the authors demonstrated the feasibility of culturing giant clams in aquaculture effluent. Among the four species tested (Tridacna derasa, T. gigas, T. maxima, and T. squamosa), T. derasa was the most suitable for culturing in effluent. The present study compared the growth, survivorship, and condition indexes of T. derasa (mean initial shell length about 83mm) cultured in fish culture effluent or seawater for six months. The clams grew significantly faster (1.29 vs. 0.93mm shell length/month) and had marginally significant (p = 0.076) higher survivorship (94.1% vs. 77.7%) than those in control seawater. Total (shell and tissue) and tissue weight indexes (g/mm shell length), and mitotic index (% dividing zooxanthellae) were similar between the treatment and control clams; whereas zooxanthellae density (number of zooxanthellae/g clam tissue) of the clams in the effluent tanks was 2.5 times higher than that in control tanks. 相似文献
19.
Maria C Haws Puá alaikahonihò omau Pascua Robert Howerton Angela Hi'ilei Kawelo Keliiahonui Kotubetey 《Aquaculture Research》2014,45(2):312-319
Abundance, length‐frequencies and distribution of Ruditapes philippinarum (Manila Clams) and Tellina (Quidnipagus) palatum were measured at two beaches in Kāne'ohe Bay, O'ahu, Hawai'i in June, 2010. Abundances had decreased from 866.2 m?2 to 3.4 m?2 for Ruditapes and from 75.5 m?2 to 1.5 m?2 for T. palatum since 1977. Distribution of both species was patchy, but both were most commonly found >40 m from shore. Size frequencies of live clams compared with empty shells suggest that few Ruditapes survive to sexual maturity. A similar trend was not detected for T. palatum. Aquaculture trials of R. philippinarum were conducted at the He'eia and Moli'i traditional Hawaiian fishponds in the same bay. The clams failed to thrive, although triploid and diploid Crassostrea gigas performed well in concurrent trials in the same fishponds. Current lower abundances for wild R. philippinarum could be due to factors related to predation or nutrient limitations. Previously, two large sewage outfalls existed at the surveyed clam bed areas which may have temporarily increased nutrient availability for both wild and cultured clams. Current nutrient levels may inhibit Manila clam growth and recruitment in Kāne'ohe Bay. 相似文献
20.
The present work investigated the health status of the Manila clam in Ireland, with particular reference to brown ring disease
(BRD) caused by V. tapetis which has been responsible for high mortalities of this bivalve throughout Europe. BRD was diagnosed in Ireland in the 1990s,
causing heavy mortalities in Manila clam stocks in the north-west coast. In the current study, samples of clams from an Irish
hatchery were obtained and screened from two sites, Drumcliff Bay, Co. Sligo and Dungloe Bay, Co. Donegal. Turbellarians and
trematodes with some minor infections were the only parasites observed. Clams were examined for BRD, by analysis of shell
valves for brown ring signs, and for V. tapetis by microbiological methods and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). BRD was not diagnosed in cultivated clams from either
site. It was, however, diagnosed in residual clams, which had survived the initial outbreak of BRD in the 1990s in Dungloe
Bay. V. tapetis, however was detected in clams from both sites. Additionally, BRD was diagnosed, and V. tapetis isolated, in a once-off sample of clams from Mulroy Bay, Co. Donegal, where clams had been on-grown from imported seed. Minor
heterogeneity at the 16S rDNA gene was observed between some sequenced products from Mulroy Bay and from Drumcliff Bay and
Dungloe Bay indicating that in addition to V. tapetis, a V. tapetis-like strain may have been present in Mulroy Bay. The detection of V. tapetis in asymptomatic clams in Drumcliff Bay and Dungloe Bay may indicate that disease development may only occur when a number
of factors combine to induce disease symptoms. 相似文献