CYTOLOGICAL COMPARISON OF GAMETOGENESIS OF SCALLOPS, ARGOPECTEN IRRADIANS AND CHLAMYS FARRERI

Histological characteristics of gametogenesis of two kinds of scallops, gonochoric Chinese scallop, Chlamys farreri and hermaphroditic bay scallop, Argopecten irradians were investigated in this study. Spermatogenesis in C. farreri has different developmental stages: spermatogonia, primary spermatocyte, second spermatocyte, spermatid and spermatozoon. A large number of same developmental stage spermatic cells converge at a definite area of the testis. Premeiotic, previtellogenic and vitellogenic oocytes can be found during oogenesis in C. farreri, where oocyte distribution is obviously irregular. The A. irradians gonad consists of two different parts in one individual: one part functions as testis, the other as ovary. Between these two parts is a special appearance area, where a large number of spermatic cells are bound with two layers of acellular substance with many oocytes in it.     

Variations in retention efficiency of bivalves to different concentrations and organic content of suspended particles

Retention efficiencies (RE) of scallop (Chlamys farreri), oyster (Crassostrea gigas) and mussel (Mytilus edulis) in a flow-through system were measured to understand the short-term response to various particle and organic matter concentrations. By comparing the RE of C. farreri with that of C. gigas and M. edulis, we gained further knowledge on the feeding physiological characteristics of C. farreri and ascertained the possible cause of high summer mortalities of this species. The experimental feeding conditions included natural differences in the abundance and composition of suspended seston, as well as conditions in which seston abundance and composition were manipulated by adding natural silt or cultured microalgae. The results show that in natural sea water, the minimum particle size for maximal retention in M. edulis, C. gigas and C. farreri was approximately 4, 6, and 8 μm, respectively; the RE of 2-μm (equivalent spherical diameter) particles was 17%, 19%, and 8%, respectively; and the relative standardized RE was 58%, 49%, and 18%, respectively. In C. gigas and M. edulis, the minimal particle size for maximal retention did not change with food quality (organic content). C. farreri was more sensitive to fluctuations in particle concentration and organic content. With particle concentration increase, the minimal particle size for maximal retention in scallop shifted to large particles and the RE for 2-μm particle decreased from 8% in natural seawater to 1.6%–6% in silt-enriched groups. With organic content increase, the minimal particle size for maximal retention shifted from 8 to 5 μm in natural seawater.Variation in RE of C. farreri with food conditions and the relationship between lower RE and smaller particle size may hamper C. farreri from food taking due to the decrease in the size distribution of phytoplankton in Sungo Bay.     

Relationships of growth and mortality to enzymatic activity,and the relative mRNA expression of cultured scallops Patinopecten yessoensis in the Yellow Sea,China

The bottom aquaculture of yesso scallop(Pa tinopecten yessoensis)has developed rapidly in the north of Yellow Sea,China,but not without accompanying productivity problems.We,therefore,conducted field surveys to investigate factors related to growth and mortality rates of bottom-cultured scallops after release.Specifically,we focused on the effects of total antioxidant capacity(TAOC)and three key enzymes involved in antioxidant and metabolic function:glutamic pyruvic transaminase(GPT),lactic dehydrogenase(LDH),and superoxide dismutase(SOD).Across summer and winter,we also measured the relative mRNA expression of GPT and SOD to understand their seasonal variation in the scallops,along with how such variation correlated to growth and mortality.Results show that bottom cultured scallops experienced mass mortality during the first six months post-release.During winter(December),scallops grew more rapidly and suffered less mortality than in summer(August).The observed lower performance probably resulted from less advantageous environmental factors during the summer seasons,such as high temperature and low dissolved oxygen.These environmental stressors enhance protein consumption while decreasing energetic resources in scallops.Furthermore,scallops in summer exhibited high antioxidant levels that probably competed for energy with process integral to growth and survival.These negative factors combined to elevate mortality rates.In conclusion,we provided evidence suggesting correlations between metabolic/antioxidant activity and growth and mortality of bottom-cultured yesso scallops.These correlations implied us an accurate method to estimate the performance of bottom culture system.Suggestions about innovative aquaculture techniques were also discussed in the study.Our results might provide a possible guideline to the improvement of bottom culture techniques for this commercially valuable seafood species.     

Comparison of growth and survival of larvae among different shell color stocks of bay scallop Argopecten irradians irradians (Lamarck 1819)

In order to improve production and breed new broods of bay scallopArgopecten irradians irradians, different-colored orange, purple and white lines were established by two mating methods of self-fertilization and mass spawning at a commercial scallop hatchery in spring, 2002. And then larval growth and survival of different lines was compared to test whether there is a relationship between shell color and growth and survival at early developmental stage. Both growth and survival have no significant differences among different experimental larvae of self-fertilization or mass spawning. Results are as following in the order of orange, purple and white shell stock. For the self-fertilization, growth rates of larvae were 6.174, 6.412, and 6.599 μm/d, respectively. Survival rates of larvae at Day 3 were 74.41%, 76.86%, and 82.05%; Day 6 were 49.14%, 65.63%, and 52.79%; and Day 9 were 25.06%, 20.80%, and 26.47%, respectively. For the mass spawning, the growth rates were 7.836, 7.941, and 7.878 μm/d, respectively. Survival rates at Day 3 were 93.05%, 91.95%, and 92.50%; Day 6 were 79.17%, 78.05%, and 82.50%; and Day 9 were 34.72%, 36.67%, and 38.33%, respectively. The absence of any relationship between shell color and growth and survival at the larval stage may be resulted from their common genetic basis. This work was financially supported by Project of Scientific Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ZKCX2-211).     

In-situ studies of microzooplankton grazing pressure on phytoplankton in Jiaozhou Bay, China

Preliminary studies on microzooplankton grazing were conducted with dilution method in Jiaozhou Bay from summer 1998 to spring 1999. Four experiments were carried out at St. 5 located at the center of Jiaozhou Bay. Chlorophyll a concentrations were consistently dominated by netphytoplankton (net-, >20μm), except during the autumn 1998 cruise, when they were dominated by nanophytoplankton(nano-, 2–20μm). The contribution of picophytoplankton (pico-, <2μm) to total chlorophyll a concentrations (<200μm) varied considerably between cruises. Instantaneous growth coefficients(u) of phytoplankton varied from 0.098 to 1.947d⁻¹, with mean value of 0.902d⁻¹. Instantaneous coefficients(g) of microzooplankton grazing on phytoplankton ranged from 0.066 to 0.567d⁻¹, mean value of 0.265d⁻¹, which was equivalent to daily lose of 21.9% of the initial standing stock and 58.1% of the daily potential production. Project No KZCX3-SW-214 supported by Chinese Academy of Sciences.     

IMPACT OF STARVATION ON SURVIVAL，MEAT CONDITION AND METABOLISM OF CHLAMYS FARRERI

The effects of 60-day starvation on survival rate. condition index (CI) , changes ofnutrient composition of different tissues, respiration and excretion of scallop ChlartnCs farreri were studiedin laboratory from Oct. 17 to Dec. 15 ,1997. Two groups (control and starvation with 200 individualseach) were cultured in two 2 m3 tanks, with 31 to 32 salinity water at 1 7 “C . Starvation effects were mea-sured alter 1 0, 20, 40 and 60 days. There was no mass mortality of scallops cf the two tanks and survivalrates of the control and starvation groups were 93 .5 % and 92.0 %, respectively. Starvation had strongeffect on the meat condition of the scallops, especially after 10 days; when relative lipid percentagedropped sharply while relative protein percentage increased. The impact of starvation on the oxygen consumption mtc (OCR) and the ammonia-N cxcretion mtc (AER) was obvious.     

Introduction,spat-rearing and experimental culture of bay scallop,Argopecten irradians lamarck

Bay scallops were introduced from the east coast of the U.S. into China to shorten the economic turn-over from 2 to 1 year. Parent scallops were carried to Qingdao on Dec. 20, 1982 and stocked in indoor tanks at controlled temperature and fed with a mixture ofPhaeodictylum tricornutum, Pyramimonas sp. andChlorella sp. They spawned on Jan. 26 of the next year. The larvae were reared at a temperature of 18–21°C and fed withIsochrysis galbana, Pyramimonas sp. andChorella sp. In 4 weeks’ growing, the spats averaged 827 μm. They attained a height of 6.9 mm on May 9. In the middle of May, the seed scallops were transferred to Luoyuan Bay in Fujian Province, and Jiaozhou Bay, as well as the area off Taiping Jiao Cape, Qingdao, Shandong Province for experimental culture in plastic netcages suspended on a single line raft. Bay scallops cultured in Luoyuan Bay grew to an averaged shell height of 10.4 mm. In Jiaozhou Bay and the Taiping Jiao Cape culture area, they grew to 50 mm in average shell height (marketable size) and 26 g in average weight by late September; and attained 59 mm in average shell height (R. 39–75 mm) and 46 g in average weight in late December. The ovary and testis could be distinguished by color in August. In early September, eggs and sperms were collected for our laboratory where the second generation of seed scallops was successfully reared to suitable size for growing outdoor and breeding. This species can be harvested within a year after fertilization of the eggs, so we consider it suitable for culture in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea. This is the first reported successful introduction of Atlantic mollusks to the China Seas. This paper was published in Chinese inOceanologia et Limnologia Sinica 17 (5): 367–374, 1986.     

Distribution of microbial populations and their relationship with environmental variables in the North Yellow Sea, China

In order to understand the large-scale spatial distribution characteristics of picoplankton,nanophytoplankton and virio-plankton and their relationship with environmental variables in coastal and offshore waters,flow cytometry(FCM) was used to ana-lyze microbial abundance of samples collected in summer from four depths at 36 stations in the North Yellow Sea(NYS).The data revealed spatial heterogeneity in microbial populations in the offshore and near-shore waters of the NYS during the summer.For the surface layer,picoeukaryotes were abundant in the near-shore waters,Synechococcus was abundant in the offshore areas,and bacte-rial and viral abundances were high in the near-shore waters around the Liaodong peninsula.In the near-shore waters,no significant vertical variation of picophytoplankton(0.2-2μm) abundance was found.However,the nanophytoplankton abundance was higher in the upper layers(from the surface to 10 m depth) than in the bottom layer.For the offshore waters,both pico-and nanophytoplankton(2-20μm) abundance decreased sharply with depth in the North Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass(NYSCWM).But,for the vertical dis-tribution of virus and bacteria abundance,no significant variation was observed in both near-shore and offshore waters.Autotrophic microbes were more sensitive to environmental change than heterotrophic microbes and viruses.Viruses showed a positive correla-tion with bacterial abundance,suggesting that the bacteriophage might be prominent for virioplankton(about 0.45μm) in summer in the NYS and that viral abundance might play an important role in microbial loop functions.     

Importance of kelp-derived organic carbon to the scallop <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chlamys farreri</Emphasis> in an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture system

Bivalves and seaweeds are important cleaners that are widely used in integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) systems. A beneficial relationship between seaweed and bivalve in the seaweed-based IMTA system has been confirmed, but the trophic importance of seaweed-derived particulate organic materials to the co-cultured bivalve is still unclear. We evaluated the trophic importance of the kelp Saccharina japonica to the co-cultured scallop Chlamys farreri in a typical IMTA farm in Sungo Bay (Weihai, North China). The dynamics of detritus carbon in the water were monitored during the culturing period. The proportion of kelp-derived organic matter in the diet of the co-cultured scallop was assessed via the stable carbon isotope method. Results showed that the detritus carbon in the water ranged from 75.52 to 265.19 μg/L, which was 25.6% to 73.8% of total particulate organic carbon (TPOC) during the study period. The amount of detritus carbon and its proportion in the TPOC changed throughout the culture cycle of the kelp. Stable carbon isotope analysis showed that the cultured scallop obtained 14.1% to 42.8% of its tissue carbon from the kelp, and that the percentages were closely correlated with the proportion of detritus carbon in the water (F =0.993, P= 0.003). Evaluation showed that for 17 000 tons (wet weight) of annual scallop production, the kelp contributed about 139.3 tons of carbon (535.8 tons of dry mass). This confirms that cultured kelp plays a similar trophic role in IMTA systems as it does in a natural kelp bed. It is a major contributor to the detritus pool and supplies a vital food source to filter-feeding scallops in the IMTA system, especially during winter and early spring when phytoplankton are scarce.     

Tempo-spatial variation of nutrient and chlorophyll-α concentrations from summer to winter in the Zhangzi Island Area (Northern Yellow Sea)

Nutrient and Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentrations were investigated monthly along three transects extending from a mariculture area to open waters around the Zhangzi Island area from July to December 2009. The objective of this study is to illustrate food availability to the bottom-sowed scallop Patinopecten yessoensis under the influences of the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass (YSCWM), freshwater input and feedbacks of cultivated scallops. Significant thermal stratification was present in open waters from July to October, and salinity decreased in July and August in surface layers in the mariculture area. Nutrient concentrations increased with depth in both areas in summer, but were similar through water column in November and December. On average, nutrient increased from summer to autumn in all components except ammonia. Nutrient concentrations lower than the minimum thresholds for phytoplankton growth were present only in upper layers in summer, but stoichiometric nitrogen limitation existed in the entire investigation period. Column-averaged Chl-a concentration was lower in open waters than in mariculture area in all months. It increased significantly in mariculture area in August and October, and was less variable in open waters. Our results show that nutrients limitation to phytoplankton growth is present mainly in upper layer in association with stratification caused by YSCWM in summer. Freshwater input and upwelling of nutrients accumulated in YSCWM can stimulate phytoplankton production in mariculture area. Farming activities may change stoichiometric nutrient ratios but have less influence on Chl-a concentration.     

Effects of temperature on oxygen consumption and ammonia—N excretion ofChlamys farreri

Effects of temperature on oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and ammonia—N excretion rate of scallopChlamys farreri (1.7–6.2 cm in shell height) were studied in laboratory from Dec. 30,1996 to Jan. 28,1997. Under the controlled conditions of ambient water temperature 10–31°C and salinity 32, the concentrations of dissolved oxygen and ammonia—N were determined by the Winkle method and the hypobromite method, respectively. Results showed that the OCR ranged from 1.20 mg/g (DW) · h to 5.76 mg/g (DW) · h. The OCR increased with temperature from 10°C to 23°C, but at 28°C the OCR of mature individuals decreased, and that of different size scallops reduced at 31°C. The ammonia—N excretion rate ranged from 113.03 μg NH₄-N/g (DW) · h to 486.63 μg NH₄-N/g (DW) · h, and increased with temperature from 10°C to 31°C. Contribution No.3180 from the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. This work was supported by the National Commission of Science and Technology of China, Grant No.96-922-02-04.     

Effects of hypoxia on survival,behavior,and metabolism of Zhikong scallop Chlamys farreri Jones et Preston 1904

Hypoxia,a frequent occurring threat in coastal regions,often results in mass mortalities of marine organisms and brings a serious ecological problem.The commercially important Zhikong scallop Chlamys farreri is being under such a threat as the risks of eutrophication and hypoxia have risen in their culture areas.However,little information has been known concerning their tolerance to hypoxia and their strategy for survival.In the present study,a 20-day experiment was conducted to determine the ef fects of hypoxia on the survival,behavior,and metabolism of Zhikong scallop.With the LC_(50) for dissolved oxygen(DO) being estimated as 1.8 mg/L,the survival of Zhikong scallop can be greatly challenged even under the moderate hypoxic condition of around 2.0 mg/L DO.The survival rate ranged from 69% to 59% when DO dropped from 3.0 to 2.0 mg/L,and it was further reduced to 47% at 1.5 mg/L DO.In hypoxic conditions,the scallops became significantly active,which may be explained as escape attempts to avoid hypoxic water.To save energy,Zhikong scallop would depress their respiration.However,when DO dropped from 3.0 to 2.0 mg/L,the oxygen consumption rate hardly changed.The upregulation of lactate dehydrogenase activity and the unrepressed phosphofructokinase activity,which often result in the unbalanced cellular homeostasis and energy budget,may account for the observed increase in the mortality rate of Zhikong scallops.In general,Zhikong scallop is sensitive to hypoxia events,though possible escape attempts,depressed respiration,and oxaloacetate-pathway may increase their survival chance.     

Thermal state of soils in the active layer and underlain permafrost at the kilometer post 304 site along the China-Russia Crude Oil Pipeline

On-site monitoring is very important for understanding formation mechanisms of frost hazards frequently occurring in pipeline foundation soils and for designing and deploying according mitigative measures in permafrost regions.Significant thaw subsidence of ground surfaces along the ChinaRussia Crude Oil Pipeline(CRCOP) from Mo'he to Daqing,Heilongjiang Province,Northeast China have been observed at some segments underlain by ice-rich warm(1.0°C) permafrost since the official operation in January 2011.Recent monitoring results of the thermal states of foundation soils at the kilometer post(KP) 304 site along the CRCOP are presented in this paper.The results indicate that during the period from 2012 to 2014,shallow soils(at the depths from0.8 to 4.0 m from ground surface) has warmed by approximately 1.0°C in the lateral range of 1.2 to 2.1 maway from the pipeline axis,and deeper permafrost(such as at the depth of 15 m,or the depth of zero annual amplitude of ground temperatures) by 0.08°C per year 4 m away from the pipe axis,and 0.07°C per year 5 m away from the pipeline axis.The results indicate an all-season talik has developed around and along the CRCOP.The thaw bulb,with a faster lateral expansion(compared with the vertical growth),enlarges in summer and shrinks in winter.This research will provide important references and bases for evaluating thermal influences of warm pipeline on permafrost and for design,construction,operation and maintenance of pipelines in permafrost regions.     

Isolation and characterization of melanin pigment from yesso scallop <Emphasis Type="Italic">Patinopecten yessoensis</Emphasis>

Melanin is one of the essential compounds in the pigments of molluscan shells. However, the effects of melanin on color variations in molluscs are largely unknown. Our previous study suggests that Yesso scallop Patinopecten yessoensis might contain melanin pigment in the dark brown shell. We therefore isolated melanin from the pigmented shells using hydrochloric acid method, and characterized the types of melanin pigments by spectrophotometry. The purified melanin, which was verified by spectrophotometry scanning and HPLC analysis, showed the typical characteristics of melanin absorption spectra and HPLC chromatograms. The contents of pheomelanin and eumelanin in pigmented shells, which were determined by the linear standard curve of melanin at 405 nm and 350 nm absorbance, were 48.23 ± 1.350 and 157.65 ± 5.905 mg, respectively. The present results indicate that the brown-pigmented shells of scallops comprise approximately 76.6% of eumelanin and 23.4% of pheomelanin, which supports the presence of eumelanin-rich pigment in scallop shells. Therefore, the combination of hydrochloric acid extraction and spectrophotometric quantification is a rapid and efficient method to isolate and quantify melanin in shells. This will facilitate the melanin studies related to shell color polymorphism and the selective breeding of bivalves with different shell colors.     

Response of Yesso scallop Patinopecten yessoensis to acute temperature challenge: physiological and biochemical parameters

Water temperature is generally considered to be a major factor affecting the physiological and biochemical activities of marine bivalves. Here, the physiological and biochemical responses of Yesso scallop, Patinopecten yessoensis, to acute water temperature changes in summer were studied. Scallops were transferred directly to a lower temperature (T_dec treatment) (from 23°C to 15°C) or to a higher temperature (T_dec treatment) (from 15°C to 23°C) for 72 h, respectively. Results showed that the oxygen consumption and ammonia-N excretion rates of P. yessoensis decreased significantly in the T_dec treatment but increased dramatically at 6 h in the T_dec treatment (P <0.05). In the T dec treatment, hepatopancreas antioxidant enzyme activities, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities, increased substantially within 72 h (P <0.05). However, a significant decrease in CAT activity was found at 12 h in the T_dec treatment (P <0.01). A significant enhancement of acid phosphatase (ACP) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content was detected when scallops were acutely exposed to a temperature of 15°C. The levels of Cu/Zn-SOD gene expression in their gills up-regulated significantly in response to acute temperature changes (P <0.01). These data suggest that acute temperature change affects physiological and biochemical functions, and improve our knowledge of P. yessoensis under conditions of thermal stress.

     

Ecological effects of co-culturing sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus (Selenka) with scallop Chlamys farreri in earthen ponds

Monthly changes in sedimentation and sediment properties were studied for three different culture treatments: sea cucumber monoculture (Mc), sea cucumber and scallop polyculture (Ps-c) and scallop monoculture (Ms). Results indicated that the survival rate of sea cucumber was significantly higher in Ps-c cultures than in Mc cultures. Sea cucumber yield was 69.6% higher in Ps-c culture than in Mc culture. No significant differences in body weight and scallop shell length were found between Ps-c and Ms cultures. The mean sedimentation rate of total particulate matter (TPM) was 72.2 g/(m2 d) in Ps-c cultures, with a maximum of 119.7 g/(m2 d), which was markedly higher than that of Mc (mean value). Sedimentation rates of organic matter (OM), total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) in Ps-c cultures were also significantly higher than those in Mc cultures. TOC and TN contents of sediment increased rapidly in the first 5 months in Ms cultures and remained at a high level. TOC and TN contents in Mc and Ps-c cultures decreased during sea cucumber feeding seasons and increased during sea cucumber dormancy periods (summer and winter). The study demonstrates that co-culture of sea cucumber and scallop in earthen ponds is an alternative way to alleviate nutrient loads and improve water quality in coastal aquaculture systems. Moreover, it provides the additional benefit of an increased sea cucumber yield.     

Isolation and Characterization of Melanin Pigment from Yesso Scallop Patinopecten yessoensis

Melanin is one of the essential compounds in the pigments of molluscan shells.However,the effects of melanin on color variations in molluscs are largely unknown.Our previous study suggests that Yesso scallop Patinopecten yessoensis might contain melanin pigment in the dark brown shell.We therefore isolated melanin from the pigmented shells using hydrochloric acid method,and characterized the types of melanin pigments by spectrophotometry.The purified melanin,which was verified by spectrophotometry scanning and HPLC analysis,showed the typical characteristics of melanin absorption spectra and HPLC chromatograms.The contents of pheomelanin and eumelanin in pigmented shells,which were determined by the linear standard curve of melanin at 405 nm and 350 nm absorbance,were 48.23 ? 1.350 and 157.65 ? 5.905 mg,respectively.The present results indicate that the brown-pigmented shells of scallops comprise approximately 76.6% of eumelanin and 23.4% of pheomelanin,which supports the presence of eumelanin-rich pigment in scallop shells.Therefore,the combination of hydrochloric acid extraction and spectrophotometric quantification is a rapid and efficient method to isolate and quantify melanin in shells.This will facilitate the melanin studies related to shell color polymorphism and the selective breeding of bivalves with different shell colors.     

Performance comparison of two efficient genomic selection methods (gsbay &amp; MixP) applied in aquacultural organisms

Genomic selection is more and more popular in animal and plant breeding industries all around the world, as it can be applied early in life without impacting selection candidates. The objective of this study was to bring the advantages of genomic selection to scallop breeding. Two different genomic selection tools MixP and gsbay were applied on genomic evaluation of simulated data and Zhikong scallop (Chlamys farreri) field data. The data were compared with genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP) method which has been applied widely. Our results showed that both MixP and gsbay could accurately estimate single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker effects, and thereby could be applied for the analysis of genomic estimated breeding values (GEBV). In simulated data from different scenarios, the accuracy of GEBV acquired was ranged from 0.20 to 0.78 by MixP; it was ranged from 0.21 to 0.67 by gsbay; and it was ranged from 0.21 to 0.61 by GBLUP. Estimations made by MixP and gsbay were expected to be more reliable than those estimated by GBLUP. Predictions made by gsbay were more robust, while with MixP the computation is much faster, especially in dealing with large-scale data. These results suggested that both algorithms implemented by MixP and gsbay are feasible to carry out genomic selection in scallop breeding, and more genotype data will be necessary to produce genomic estimated breeding values with a higher accuracy for the industry.     

Effects of reduced salinity on oxygen consumption and ammonia-N excretion ofChlamys farreri

Effects of reduced salinity on the oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and the ammonia-N excretion rate (AER) of scallopChlamys farreri (3.2–5.9 cm in shell height, 0.147–1.635 g in soft tissue dry weight) were studied in laboratory from March 21, 1997 to April 16, 1997. Under the controlled conditions of reduced salinity from 31.5 to 15.0 and ambient temperature 17°C and 23°C, the concentrations of dissolved oxygen and ammonia-N were determined by the Winkle method and the hypobromite method, respectively. Results showed that with controlled reduced salinity, the mean values of the OCR were 2.17 mg/(g.h) at 17°C, and 2.86 mg/(g.h) at 23°C and that the mean values of the AER were 178.0 μg/(g.h) at 17°C and 147.0 μg/(g.h) at 23°C. The OCR and the AER decreased with reducing salinity from 31.5 to 15.0 both at 17°C and 23°C. The effects of reduced salinity on the OCR and the AER of scallopC. farreri could be represented by the allometric equation and the exponential equation, respectively. Contribution No. 3295 from the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Project supported by the National Ministry of Science and Technology of China and by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Grant No. 96-922-02-04 and KZ951-A1-102-02.