REARINQ OF BIVALVE MOLLUSKS
3
growing larvae under different conditions their diseases and parasites
oould be studied and methods for their control developed. Finally,
because the larvae of many species of bivalves are much alike in size
and appearance, it was virtually impossible to identify them, with
any degree of accuracy, in plankton collections. With the recent
dovelopmelit of mtrthods of rearing larvan in the laboratory, howaver,
this difficulty Rhoiiltl Noon disappear bccautw larvae found in plankton
can now be easily and accurately compared with preserved samples
and photomicrographs of larvae grown from known parents under
controlled conditions.
By using successfully conditioning and rearing methods, many
aepects of which were developed at Milford Laboratory (Loosanoff and
Davis, 1950; Loosrtnoff, 1964) and are described in this article, larvae
of approximately twenty species of bivalves have been cultured at
Milford. Not all of these species are indigenous to New England waters
or even to our Atlantic coast. Several are native to the Pacific and one
species came from Europe. The non-indigenous forms were representatives of commercially important species in which we were interested.
The bivalves, the lmae of which have been reared from fertilization
to metamorphosis, included the transverse arc clam, Arca tranevert~a ;
the ribbed mussel, Modiolue demhsua; the common mussel, Mytilue
eduli8; the bay scallop, Pecten iwadiam; the jingle shell, AnomM;
eimpkx; tho European oyster, Ostrmz edulie; the native Pacific coaat
oyster, Ostrea lurida; the American oystir, Cras8oedreu Virginia; the
Japanese oyster, Crmsmtrea glgm ; Morton's cockle, 7 Laehrdium
morloni; the hard shell clam, Mercenaria (-Venue) mereenaria, and
its relative, Mercenuria (- Venue) ca9wpechiensi.9 ; hybrids of thew
two species; the Japanem obm, Tupu ~emi&maah; t h wmcll
clam, Pitar (-- -Callocardia) mMThwLnu ; tho rock borer, Petrieokcplroladif m b ; the razor clam, lim.8 directw ; tho aurf clam, Nactra (-8pi8u&)
801idissi?na ; the soft shell clam, Mya arenuria ; and the common shipworm, Teredo navalia.
Of the above species the larvae of Crassostrea Virginim and Mercenaria rnercenaria have been studied most intensively and, as a result,
we h v e accumulated an extensive knowledge of their physiological
and ecologioal requirements (Loosanoff and Davis, 1960; Looscmoff
et al., 1961 ; Loosanoff and Dmis, 19528; Loosanoff and Davis, 1962b;
Davis, 1963; Loosanoff, 1964; Loosanoff et al., 1955; Davis and
Chanley, 1956a; Davis, 1968; Davis and Guillard, 1958; Loosanoff,
1958a ; Loosanoff, 1958b ; Loosanoff, 1969 ; and Davis, 1960). Fhveral
other species, such &R the European oy~ter, O&ea rihtin, and tho
Olympia oyster, O&m lurida, have alno roceivcd mudl nttrwtion.
II a
3
growing larvae under different conditions their diseases and parasites
oould be studied and methods for their control developed. Finally,
because the larvae of many species of bivalves are much alike in size
and appearance, it was virtually impossible to identify them, with
any degree of accuracy, in plankton collections. With the recent
dovelopmelit of mtrthods of rearing larvan in the laboratory, howaver,
this difficulty Rhoiiltl Noon disappear bccautw larvae found in plankton
can now be easily and accurately compared with preserved samples
and photomicrographs of larvae grown from known parents under
controlled conditions.
By using successfully conditioning and rearing methods, many
aepects of which were developed at Milford Laboratory (Loosanoff and
Davis, 1950; Loosrtnoff, 1964) and are described in this article, larvae
of approximately twenty species of bivalves have been cultured at
Milford. Not all of these species are indigenous to New England waters
or even to our Atlantic coast. Several are native to the Pacific and one
species came from Europe. The non-indigenous forms were representatives of commercially important species in which we were interested.
The bivalves, the lmae of which have been reared from fertilization
to metamorphosis, included the transverse arc clam, Arca tranevert~a ;
the ribbed mussel, Modiolue demhsua; the common mussel, Mytilue
eduli8; the bay scallop, Pecten iwadiam; the jingle shell, AnomM;
eimpkx; tho European oyster, Ostrmz edulie; the native Pacific coaat
oyster, Ostrea lurida; the American oystir, Cras8oedreu Virginia; the
Japanese oyster, Crmsmtrea glgm ; Morton's cockle, 7 Laehrdium
morloni; the hard shell clam, Mercenaria (-Venue) mereenaria, and
its relative, Mercenuria (- Venue) ca9wpechiensi.9 ; hybrids of thew
two species; the Japanem obm, Tupu ~emi&maah; t h wmcll
clam, Pitar (-- -Callocardia) mMThwLnu ; tho rock borer, Petrieokcplroladif m b ; the razor clam, lim.8 directw ; tho aurf clam, Nactra (-8pi8u&)
801idissi?na ; the soft shell clam, Mya arenuria ; and the common shipworm, Teredo navalia.
Of the above species the larvae of Crassostrea Virginim and Mercenaria rnercenaria have been studied most intensively and, as a result,
we h v e accumulated an extensive knowledge of their physiological
and ecologioal requirements (Loosanoff and Davis, 1960; Looscmoff
et al., 1961 ; Loosanoff and Dmis, 19528; Loosanoff and Davis, 1962b;
Davis, 1963; Loosanoff, 1964; Loosanoff et al., 1955; Davis and
Chanley, 1956a; Davis, 1968; Davis and Guillard, 1958; Loosanoff,
1958a ; Loosanoff, 1958b ; Loosanoff, 1969 ; and Davis, 1960). Fhveral
other species, such &R the European oy~ter, O&ea rihtin, and tho
Olympia oyster, O&m lurida, have alno roceivcd mudl nttrwtion.
II a