Asian clam populations in natural water bodies have been jeopardised due to overfishing and habitat loss recently. Consequently, the clam production for local consumption has declined and requires new avenues to compensate for this decline. Comprehending the reproductive characteristics of Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea) is important for seed production in aquaculture due to their hermaphroditic characteristics. This study investigates the reproductive characteristics and gonadal development of captive C. fluminea broodstocks reared for 24 wk in a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS). The condition index (CI), gonad index (GI), and histological analysis were completed to assess reproductive traits and gonadal development. The results show that broodstocks achieved optimal CI (>2.5) by the third month, peaking at 3.55 in the fourth month. Asynchronous spawning and heterogeneous gonad development patterns were observed, with active spawning during the conditioning phase. Histology reveals that C. fluminea is a hermaphrodite that possess ovo-testes at different stages regardless of the clam size. The body condition significantly influences gametogenesis, and the CI was correlated with GI. The reproductive cycle has four stages: resting/spent, development (gametogenesis), maturity, and spawning. Our comprehensive study of the reproductive characteristics and gonadal development underscores the substantial potential of C. fluminea in hatcheries to propagate and facilitate seed production for Asian clam aquaculture.
Ramli et al. (Wed,) studied this question.