Abstract
Adult Rangia cuneata (Gray) were spawned in the laboratory, and the combined effects of temperature and salinity on survival of fertilized eggs and on survival and growth of veliger larvae were studied. Embryos and larvae were reared at a number of temperature-salinity conditions within the ranges 8° to 32°C and 0 to 20‰ S. Salinities near 0‰ were lethal in all cases. Response surfaces were computed to analyze the combined effects on survival of embryos and on survival and growth of the larvae. Optimum conditions for embryos (85% survival) were 18° to 29°C and 6 to 10‰ S. Salinity had more effect than temperature on early development. Optimum conditions for the larvae were broader, being 8° to 32°C and 2 to 20‰ S. However, temperature and salinity interacted to reduce survival at low salinity-high temperature and high salinity-low temperature combinations. Growth of larvae was best at high salinities and high temperatures.
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Communicated by J. Bunt, Miami
This paper is part of a dissertation submitted to the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Ph. D. degree. The work was accomplished at the laboratories of the Department of Marine Science at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point, Va. 23062 (USA). Support for research was funded by Virginia Electric and Power Company.
Virginia Institute of Marine Science Contribution No. 516.
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Cain, T.D. The combined effects of temperature and salinity on embryos and larvae of the clam Rangia cuneata . Marine Biology 21, 1–6 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00351185
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00351185