Bivalve Panopea japonica as a potential object of mariculture in the Far East of Russia

The purpose of the review is to evaluated the features of biology, ecology and life cycle and the possibilities of cultivation of the bivalve Panopea japonica in the Russian Far East seas. The review analyzes the available sources on the biology and ecology of P. japonica as a species with high commercial value and potential for cultivation in the coastal waters of the seas of the Far East of the Russia. A detailed assessment of the existing information on the biology and ecology of P. japonica revealed the understudy of the early stages of ontogenesis, nutrition, and distribution in the coastal of the seas of the Russian Far East. The early stages and optimal water temperature critically important for the organization of planting material. The ecological features are favorable for pasture and industrial mariculture. The bivalve mollusk P. japonica lives on soft substrates from the Yellow Sea to southern Sakhalin, burrows into the ground to a depth of 0.5 m, tolerant to the tidal regime of marshes and over environmental conditions, reaches a mass of more than 1 kg. The fastest growth is observed up to 3 years, the commercial size is reached in more than 3 years. Natural settlements are relatively small and scattered, and their deep location in the ground makes fishing much more difficult. The P. japonica is in demand in Asian markets, which makes P. japonica mariculture quite profitable. It is potentially possible to achieve the number of P. japonica in mariculture at least 16 specimens/m2. The ecological features of the P. japonica favorable for pasture and industrial mariculture, which provides an additional advantages for maintaining a high quality marine environment.